Unexpected
by gymrat101
Summary: As Hermione enters her final year at Hogwarts, it becomes a struggle for her to keep her passion for dance a secret. Then an unexpected person allowes her to open up, and there is possibly something else to gain....is it love?...a Dramione fic
1. The Last Night

Chapter 1- The Last Night

The music swelled around me, lifting and falling, weaving, and my body fluidly followed. Veering and bending, I closed my eyes, letting the music control my movements and thoughts like I let nothing else do.

As the melody lifted upward, my arms twisted and reached, meeting it note for note, and I collapsed in a heap of exhaustion on the ground with the final notes.

A smile spread across my face as my eyes slid closed, enjoying the complete peace of mind that I got from dancing.

"Hermione? You have to be done, it's nearly time to leave for dinner!" my mother shouted up the stairs.

I huffed in irritation as the thoughts that had been plaguing my mind for the past few days slowly crept like vines into the little cracks that my mother's interruption had made in my calm sphere.

I rose from my prone position and began to peal off my point shoes, wincing as the pain from the blisters on my toes and heals began to finally hit me. _I really shouldn't dance for this long, I'm barely going to be able to walk tomorrow!_ I thought with resignation. A major downside of my escape? Messed up feet and sore muscles.

I'm Hermione Granger, full-time student and geek at Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Something no one knows about me though, is my love of ballet. It's a hard secret to keep, especially when your two best friends are practically the most amazing people in the world. Harry Potter and Ron Weasley are like my brothers, but because they prefer the "manly" sport of quidditch, I decided that I should just keep the ballet obsession thing on the down low around them.

This posed to be a larger problem than I had originally expected, and so now the only time I get to do ballet is during the summer. At home. In my ATTIC, which is not air-conditioned. Psh, smart move on my part to put my studio up here, now I practically die from the damp, heavy, extremely HOT air.

I slowly got up and walked towards the door, grabbing the towel I left on the railing as I raced down the stairs to my bathroom to take a shower before dinner. I stripped my dance clothes off, tossed them in the washer, and got into the shower for a cold rinse. I yelped as the icy water hit me, because after the overwhelming heat of the studio, it was just damn _cold!_

"Hermione! You have five minutes! We have a reservation to make!" my mom's voice shouted up to me again.

"Coming!" I shouted back, as I scrambled out of the bathroom and into my room, my hair dripping water onto the floor. I dried my hair and grabbed the outfit that my mom had put on my bed earlier, and threw it on without even looking at it.

As I rushed out the door, hopping on one foot trying to get my shoe on, I caught a glimpse of myself in my mirror.

My hair fell around my face in damp curls, circling my pale, heart-shaped face in an unoriginal way. It was dark brown, like mud, as were my eyes. As I noticed my outfit, I sighed. It was my favorite purple dress that I never wore. Why didn't I ever wear it? For the very reason that I was gazing at right now.

The dress was stunning, elegant but simple, starkly colored and bold, yet not too eye-catching. On me it was never done justice, because there was no way that my plain features could ever live up to a dress like this. I tore my gaze away from the sad image, and rushed down the stairs before my mom had the chance to call me again.

"There you are! I was beginning to wonder if I'd get to even see my little girl for dinner before she headed off to school again!" my dad said, beaming. I rolled my eyes, but smiled. I was glad that my parent's and I would be able to have a nice dinner before I headed back to Hogwarts for the year. Between dancing and homework, I hadn't really gotten a chance to spend time with them.

I began to walk out the door towards the car when I heard my parents chuckling behind me. I spun around, my eyebrows raised, when I noticed their eyes on my feet. I followed their gazes down and realized, sure enough, my feet were standing in a perfectly turned out first position. I began to walk again, and to my horror not only was I turned out, but I'm sure I was walking just like a ballet dancer again. My shoulders were back, my chin was up, my tailbone was tucked under, and no matter what I did I couldn't stop walking with a turn out that practically shouted "Hey, look at me! I'm a dancer!"

I groaned, knowing that I would have to attempt to walk normally before tomorrow at school otherwise Harry and Ron would surely guess my summer activities. I started walking slower, concentrating on keeping my toes facing forward as I walked.

"Honey, why do you always correct yourself like that? Everyone knows you're a dancer, they'll understand," my dad questioned, clearly confused. I froze, remembering yet again that my parents didn't know that my friends had no idea I was a dancer. The wheels in my head turned as I tried to create an appropriate response without lying too badly.

"Um, well, you know Daddy, walking turned out is very bad for your knees! Yes, I cannot possibly be walking around school and have my knees hurting, can I?" My dad considered this for a moment and nodded. I was relieved that nothing else was mentioned as we got into the car and drove off to the restaurant.

Once we had gotten our table, my parents began the end of summer bombardment.

"What classes are you planning on taking, love?"

"I haven't given much thought to what I would do outside of the usual DADA, potions, transfiguration, and that sort of thing. Although, since it's our last year, I asked Professor McGonagall if she would consider adding a spontaneous class."

"Like what? Art?"

"I didn't really specify, but….I'm kind of hoping for some sort of dance class." My father laughed, shaking his head.

"I should've known," he said teasingly. I, being a mature young adult, stuck my tongue out at him.

Now it was my mom's turn for a question. "So, since we haven't had much of a chance to chat this summer, tell me….have you met an guys?" She sounded so sincere and hopeful, and was probably worried that since I studied so hard I would never find a nice guy to go out with.

I patiently repeated the same reply that I always used with this question, "No mom, all of the guys at my school are either friends, nuts, or jerks. There aren't really any potential boyfriend types."

"And that's okay for you not to find anyone until you are thirty-five, honey" my dad said supportively, although I knew behind his joking tone he was probably serious. What is it with fathers and the prospect of their daughters dating? _It's not like he as anything to worry about though?_

I internally wallowed in self-pity over my love life, or lack of, for a few moments, and then snapped out of it as my mom continued her rant about my lack of romance.

"What about that boy Ron? Didn't you used to like him? Or who was it….that Quidibit player or whatever it's called?"

"Mom, yes I liked Ron when I was ELEVEN, but now he's like my brother and that would be, well, disgusting. Almost like incest. And Viktor is long gone, we're just good friends now."

My mom looked at me sternly. "I just worry that you think about your studies so much that you don't get a chance to be a teenage girl! Wow, there's a sentence a mother doesn't get to say to her daughter very often…" I laughed at the last bit.

"Okay Mom, here's what I'll promise to make you feel better. You know how I'm Head Girl this year? Well, that gives me some power over what school activities can happen, and I'll push hard for the dances. Does that help? I can be a "normal" teenager there, just for you," I assured her, resigned on the inside at what I was promising. I really hated dances. All it was was an excuse for girls to get all dolled up for their boyfriends, while the rest of us singles just sat around the dance floor, feeling thoroughly embarrassed about coming without a date, and even more embarrassed at the prospect of asking someone to dance, for fear they might refuse. And the dresses and strappy heals that were expected to be worn were death traps in and of themselves! _Stop thinking about that Hermione, you just promised your mother…._

I barely cleared my mind of awkward dancing and spiked punch when my dad fired another question at me.

"So, honey, since you are Head Girl, have you put any thought into who might possibly be the Head Boy?"

"A little….I mean, there are so many guys that it could be. I'm sure it's not Ron though, because he is a bit of a troublemaker, and I also doubt that Dumbledore would have chosen the Head Boy and Girl from the same houses. I think it must be Ernie Macmillan; he's a nice guy. I'd rather live with him than any of the other prospects…." Draco Malfoy's pointed face and blonde hair flashed through my mind.

My father, who had been taking a sip of water while I was talking, nearly choked when I mentioned the living arrangement. "L-living with him?" he spluttered. "How can they allow that?" I sighed, once again dealing with my father's thinking that I was still a little girl.

"Daddy, technically we're all legal adults now. And its not a huge deal, its not like we're sharing a bedroom or anything, we just have the same common room." I heard him muttering to himself, but was glad that he decided not to pursue the subject. Although there was another reason I had withheld this particular information…

"Oh, sweetie! If you're living with this boy, things are bound to get a little personal. Is it common to have the Head Boy and Girl dating?" my mom asked excitedly. I placed my head in my hands, groaning, pressing my palms into my eyes in frustration.

"Can we please talk about something other than Hogwarts and romance? Please? I'll get enough of that when I'm back at school!" I exclaimed heatedly. My parents exchanged guilty looks and sat in silence for a little bit of time. "How about you guys tell me about work? Goodness knows I'm not going to hear about it for a long time. You can give me my full dose of work ranting before I leave!" I said, trying to ease the awkward silence. My mom smiled and then proceeded to just as I asked her.

The rest of the meal went similarly, with my parents trading random stories about the going on's at the office. It wasn't until after we had paid the check and were in the car on the way home that I heard them talking about anything other than work. I was drifting off to sleep in the back seat when I heard them whispering to each other.

"Do you think we should tell her about the letter?"…..and that was all I heard before my eyes became too heavy and my brain drifted off into dreamland. I faintly remembered my father lifting me out of the car and placing me on my soft bed, and then I was out completely.


	2. The Train

**Chapter 2- The Train**

I woke the next morning at 8 o'clock, and just lay there in bed for about an hour or so. I thought about a lot of things: courses, seeing my friends again, and even what the Head dorms might look like. But most of all, I thought about how much I would miss my ballet and music. Its been hard these past seven years keeping my favorite thing a secret, but I only have one year left.

With that enlightening thought, I climbed out of bed leisurely. I stumbled downstairs for breakfast, hoping I could see my parents before they had to leave for work. Being dentists, they frequently had to arrive at the office ridiculously early. Ever since I had passed my apparition test, they had taken to leaving for the office earlier, due to the fact that they no longer had to drive me everywhere.

I was in luck, as I walked sleepily into the kitchen, I saw my parents gathering their things. I nearly crashed into my dad as he was starting to walk up the stairs, and he caught me before I toppled over backwards.

"You know, for such a good dancer, you really are quite clumsy," he chuckled.

"Hey, may I remind you that I have not had my coffee, and you were the one who walked into me!" I cried in mock indignation.

"I can't believe you have started drinking coffee, love. Aren't you worried it's going to stunt you growth, Shorty?" he smiled, teasingly. I lightly punched him on the shoulder, laughing, but I was soon distracted as I noticed my mom pouring the delightful brown liquid into my favorite mug.

"COFFEE!" I squealed, belatedly realizing that my father was in close enough proximity that his ears might be ringing from the blast.

"What did we do wrong? Our beloved daughter has gone all American on us and has become addicted to coffee…."he said with a solemn face.

"Oh the horror," I rolled my eyes, as I added milk and sugar. "Are you two leaving soon?"

"Yes, dear, I was actually sending your father to wake you up so we could say goodbye before you went off to school!" my mother said. She walked over and held me in a bone-cracking hug, saying, "I'll miss you dear. I always do. Try to keep this term quieter than the others, alright?" I was sure she was referring to the wars that had been plaguing Hogwarts since the return of Voldemort. This year would be different though: Voldemort was dead, and all of his followers had been rounded up.

"I promise I won't go looking for trouble, Mum," I whispered to her, knowing it was what she wanted to hear. She let go with a slightly tremulous smile, and I turned towards my father.

"I'm gunna miss you pal," he informed me in a light tone. "just be careful as usual and…keep dancing." He smiled at me knowingly, as I looked on in confusion. He hugged me as well, and then they were both heading for the door. Right when they were about to drive away, my father turned around hastily.

"I almost forgot! Here," he grabbed my had and placed an envelope in it. "Don't open this for a few days. I know your curiosity is going to kill you, but I want you to be settled into Hogwarts before you read it. Will you do that for me?" he implored, looking intensely at me.

"Alright, alright. I can tell it means a lot to you two. Promise me one thing, though," I said.

"What's up, love?"

"Don't miss me too much, I am going to be moving out after this term. Help mom with that prospect, alright?" I could tell he hadn't really thought about this, and I was glad I hadn't said anything about it earlier in the summer, otherwise this goodbye might have been harder. He nodded silently, hugged me again, and then they were off down the road.

I hurriedly glanced at the clock on the mantel. "Oh no! I still need to finish packing!" it was already 10:00, and the train left at exactly eleven o'clock. I sprinted upstairs and began hurtling things in my trunk without really looking at them. I grabbed my toothbrush and hair stuff, packing them for the first time because I was going to have my own bathroom as Head Girl. I was about halfway done with my haphazard tossing when I realized I could use magic. _This is going to take some getting used to…_

I pulled out my wand without preamble and shouted "Pack!", a spell I had learned from Nymphadora Tonks. As everything in my room began to zoom towards the drunk and neatly laid itself inside, I thought about packing my dance clothes. I was going to have a room to myself, which meant no inconvenient interruptions. I decided to bring everything, just in case.

Finally, with my school stuff all packed, I got dressed and stuffed the mysterious envelope into an inside pocket of my jacket. I then hauled my trunk downstairs, finished my coffee, and went upstairs to have one last look at my little haven in the attic.

I looked around wistfully, realizing for the first time that this may be one of the last times I was able to be in here. I would be moving out of my parent's house at the end of this term at Hogwarts, and so I would have to make my own sanctuary at a new place, make new memories. I knew I wouldn't be able to leave without taking some of my music, and so I grabbed a few of my dance CD's, and took a picture of the studio with my small digital that my parents had gotten for my birthday. I would develop this picture the normal way, so that it would not move. It seemed to make sense, separating this non-magical haven from everything else by keeping it resolute and still. I quickly turned around and went back downstairs.

By the time I had taken one more walk around the house, it was about time for me to go. I grasped Crookshanks and my trunk firmly, turning on the spot. After the second of suffocation and disorientation (which Crookshanks was NOT happy about) I arrived, spinning, at the platforms 9 and 10 in King's Cross station. and my trunk flew around and hit the back of someone's legs, knocking them out from under the unfortunate person.

"Oh my goodness, I'm terribly sorry!" I began, until I noticed the pale face and blonde hair of the boy I would have gladly knocked down again given the chance: Draco Malfoy.

"Watch it, Granger!" he snarled. "You shouldn't go around knocking the Head Boy down, I could have you punished!" He slowly got up, completely ignoring the death glare I was giving him.

"You always deserved that sort of thing, you prat. And I have a hard time believing that Dumbledore would let you get away with throwing whatever you liked at me, especially since I am Head Girl..." with that I paused, slowly realizing what he had said previously. "Wait...did you say...? Oh no..." I groaned.

I saw the realization hit him a split second later. "I have you live with _you?_ You're the Head Girl? I should have known, you were always one of Dumbledore's pet students weren't you? Besides Potter," he said in a hard voice. I was about to retort on behalf of myself and my friend when he suddenly spun about and walked through the barrier to Platform 9 3/4. I took a minute to calm my flaring temper before following him onto the platform.

I dropped my luggage in a compartment, hoping that I would get a chance to see Harry and Ron before having to go to the Head's meeting. As if my thoughts had summoned them, I heard a yell from the compartment door as my two best friends spotted me. I jumped up and ran to give them both hugs.

I pulled away from them both saying, "Hey! It's so good to see both of you!" I gave them appraising looks, noticing both had gotten even less awkward looking, as they were growing out of their gangly teenage look. _Wow...they're so HANDSOME!_ I hadn't really noticed before, but my two best friends were going to have no trouble this year getting themselves noticed, that's for sure. I felt a wave of motherly pride.

"You two look so grown up, it's incredible! What happened?" I exclaimed, voicing part of my thoughts. They both laughed, looking at each other.

"We could say the same thing about you, Hermione. Where'd your frizzy hair go?" Harry teased. I playfully punched him on the arm, and looked over at Ron.

"Eye's up here, Ronald," I said, rolling my eyes at his completely "teenage boy" behavior. He snapped his eyes away from my...er... upper abdominal area and looked at my face. I saw his ears turn red.

"I'm sorry, 'Mione," he mumbled, and I shared a glance with Harry, raising my eyebrows. He just shook his head, offering no explanation.

"You look so different! Like, wow!" Ron said, trying to defend himself. His hands made gestures in front of his own chest when he said "wow", making me blush. Harry smacked the back of his head.

"This is your best friend, idiot," Harry stated, gazing intently at Ron. I chuckled quietly, finding the whole situation rather amusing.

"I will leave you two to the compartment, and catch up with you later. I have to go to the Head's compartment for a meeting," I said with a weary look. Both Harry and Ron look puzzled at my expression, and I elaborated, "The Head Boy is Malfoy." They both winced.

"You have to live with that moron? If he does anything, I'll kill him," Ron intoned in a completely calm voice. I gave him a look that clearly said _I can take care of myself, thanks_, and walked out of the compartment.

"I'll be back in a bit, I just have to tell some stuff to the new Prefects," I said, glancing back. The two boys smiled in assent, and I marched off to face the Prefects and, of course, Malfoy. I reached the special compartment, noticing that everyone had arrived before me. I blushed and quickly sat down next to Malfoy, in an attempt to put on the display of a united front with the Head Boy.

"How nice of you to join us, Granger," the blonde said, sarcastically.

I ignored him, and immediately began to fill in the new Prefects on their responsibilities. Malfoy made no more snide remarks, which must have been a record for him. Instead, he would quietly add comments to my monologue, clarifying things for the younger students. When I finished, I looked over at him.

"Did I forget anything?"

He raised his eyebrows, surprised at my almost civil tone towards him. "Just the password to the bathroom," he looked back at the gathered fifth-years. "The bathroom is on the second floor, behind the painting of the birds in the golden birdbath. The password is 'Evergreen'. And with that final note, you can all go. I'm sure you have some friends whom you are dying to see. Remember that there is a Prefect's meeting the third Saturday after school starts. Until then…."

The prefects scrambled out of the compartment, clearly excited to see their friends after a summer apart. Malfoy stalked out after them, leaving me to clean up after the meeting. _Now that was odd…_ I thought, as I folded papers together and put them away.

The truth was I had never seen Malfoy act the way he just had. I was used to the part when he stalked out, leaving the rest of the work to me, but the boy usually showed a certain amount of abuse towards privileges. The fact that he hadn't taken away fifty points from Hufflepuff when that poor girl sneezed, just because he could, was completely uncharacteristic of him.

By the time I was done pondering the mystery that was Draco Malfoy, I found that my feet had taken me back to Harry and Ron's compartment. They both looked up at her as she entered, and she noticed Ginny had joined them. She was sitting next to Harry, and their hands were entwined. Hermione's stomach gave a jolt when she saw their obvious display of their relationship. Harry and Ginny were the perfect match for each other. Ever since they had gotten together last year, I had watched their love grow with an almost painful longing, one that I can't fully explain. I have always wanted to have someone whom I was made for; my perfect match.

"You just going to stand there, 'Mione?" Ron asked, breaking into my lonely haze. I mentally shook myself, forcing a smile as I sat down, despite the awful nickname.

"How was Malfoy? Do we have a reason to beat his pompous ass, by chance?" asked Harry, looking far too excited at the prospect of violence against Malfoy.

"Oh, you know, Malfoy will be Malfoy," I responded, vaguely. No need to tell them that Malfoy had acted completely strange. My comment caused Harry, Ron, and Ginny to go into a rampant conversation about how they would harm Malfoy if he did anything to me in our time living together. I nodded when it was necessary, and "hmh" 'd a few times, but mostly I was thinking about ballet. I began to do a basic combination in my head:

demi plie, stretch

demi plie, stretch

grande plie, stretch

forward, back, tondue, next position

My friend's babbling voices hummed on in the background of my mind. I closed my eyes, letting the small noise fill my head…..

* * *

"…Hermione," I heard my name suddenly. I opened my eyes, realizing I'd dozed off. Ron's freckled face was inches from my own as he tried to wake me up.

"Ah, she lives!" he teased. "Come on, Harry and Ginny are getting a carriage. You don't want to miss the feast, do you?"

I stretched, blinking, and stumbled to my feet. "you mean _you_ don't want to miss the feast," I mumbled. He grinned.

"Well, you know, a boy's gotta eat!" he defended.

"How can you still be hungry after the Pumpkin Pasty and the Cauldron Cakes you ate only and hour ago?" I asked, completely incredulous. We had almost reached the carriage by now.

"I'm always hungry. Comes with being a teenage boy." Ginny heard his comment as we approached, and she grimaced at me.

"And you don't' have to live with any of them," she growled wearily.

"On behalf of my gender, HEY!" Harry interjected. Ginny turned to him with a sweet smile on her face.

"I didn't mean you, love. I never mean you." I turned away, and I heard Ron gag beside me. I looked back and the couple of the ages was staring into each other's eyes.

"Oi! Potter! No snogging around the older brother," Ron interrupted. Harry winked at Ginny, and I smacked the back of Ron's head.

"Ouch! 'Mione!" he yelped.

"You deserved it," I said, smiling innocently. Ginny laughed, Ron grumbled, and Harry rolled is eyes. The four of us climbed into the carriage, which lurched into movement. Soon enough, the castle of Hogwarts loomed from beyond the trees. As suddenly as the carriage started moving, it stopped, throwing me into Ron's lap.

"I'm sorry," I muttered, clambering up. Ron had the most peculiar look on his face.

"I don't' mind…" he said quietly, almost quiet enough that I wasn't even sure he had said anything. I blushed and climbed out.

I caught a glimpse of Draco Malfoy up ahead, climbing out of a carriage ahead of them. Almost as if he felt my gaze his head turned, his eyes catching mine in a stare. I couldn't' read his emotions from this distance, but I could not see the usual arrogance or antagonism. I was the first to look away.

"Filthy git," Ron growled, appearing beside me. Only when Malfoy caught sight of Ron did his expression become the familiar look of distaste. With one glower look, he spun on his heel and marched up the stone steps, disappearing into the entrance hall.

The Great Hall was spectacularly lit with candles, and the ceiling above showed a cloudless night, full of stars. I smiled, absorbing the purely magical essence the room possessed. As I sat down with Harry, Ron, and Ginny, I looked back to see Professor McGonagall entering, carrying a tattered looking pointed hat, and a rickety stool. Behind her trailed the first years. _They're so small_ was the only thought that entered my mind. They had all reached the front of the hall, and I could recognize the scared looks on their faces.

Professor McGonagall placed the hat on the stool, and soon the hall was filled with the hat's song

…..

After the feast, Professor McGonagall called me over, along with Draco Malfoy. My three best friends cast me supportive looks, and proceeded to head out of the hall. Malfoy and I reached Professor McGonagall at the same time.

"Congratulations Miss Granger, Mr. Malfoy," she said, beaming at us. "Professor Dumbledore will be telling you a few words of wisdom pertaining to living together, and he will also be showing you to your common room. Good night, and good luck!" With her last words, she turned and went back to the staff table.


	3. New Roomies and Conversations

**Chapter 3- New Roomies and Conversations**

"Good evening!" Professor Dumbledore exclaimed jubilantly, exiting the hall. "I am so proud of you two, going through all six years at the top of your classes. I must say, I had no trouble at all assigning Heads this year." He stared at us with a sort of paternal pride, his electric blue eyes sparkling in the flickering light of the candles. He continued to stare until I began to feel rather nervous, and I felt Malfoy shift uncomfortably beside me.

"Um, sir…" Malfoy mumbled with a question in his tone. Dumbledore snapped back to reality at once.

"Ah yes, I'm sorry. Old age does that to you , you know. Makes your brain a tad fuzzy. So, your dormitories! I have a good feeling that you'll love the decorations. Come, come, we do not want to get stopped by Mr. Filch, now do we?" He winked at me and began striding down the hall at a remarkably quick pace. His quick decision to suddenly begin walking left Malfoy and I standing there for a second before we realized we were supposed to follow. Slightly jogging to keep up, I looked around the halls of the school.

Despite the longing I felt for leaving my dance and studio back at home, I had really missed Hogwarts. The halls as we walked past seemed to glow in welcome, and I could barely contain my excitement for the coming year. I didn't realize I was smiling until Malfoy kindly decided to bring me back to earth.

"What on earth are you smiling about, Granger? You look slightly deranged," he said in an undertone, so that Dumbledore, who was striding ahead, did not hear.

"I'm just happy to be back," I replied, still smiling dreamily. He looked at me with faint disgust.

"You know, that's the second time today that you've been civil to me. Are you alright?" he sneered, clearly not wondering if I was okay, but if I had gone crazy.

"I, unlike some people, do not feel it necessary to criticize and ridicule with every other sentence I make," I whispered heatedly. "Trust you to be a jerk when I'm actually somewhat nice for one to you. Typical…"

"Ah, that's the Granger I know. I was beginning to think you'd left your silver tongue at home, bit disappointed really."

"And why would that be?" I responded, still in a hushed voice.

"You're entertaining when you're snappish. Funny as hell, and to think I'll have all year to make your life hellish…" He smirked with an evil glint in his eyes.

"You little prat!"

"Know-it-all!"

"Spoiled-"

"Snobby-"

"Arrogant-"

"Rotten-"

"Grating-"

"Filthy-"

"Greasy-"

"Ugly-"

"FERRET!" Hermione spat. Malfoy glared at that last, his haughty smirk slipping off his face. Hermione made a mental cheer; Hermione: 1 Malfoy: 0.

"And we have arrived!" Dumbledore turned around, making me jump. I had forgotten we were following him for a minute there. I hoped he hadn't heard their little exchange, but by the look in his laughing eyes, I guess he had. I blushed.

"You two get to make up your password before you enter, and just tell it to the window. You'll find all of your belongings in you rooms, and make sure you…explore. Not all is as it seems. Goodnight!" and with that he spun away in a swirl of blue robes and silver hair.

Malfoy and I stood staring at where the professor had left us. It was, indeed, a window, and I could see the shadowy grounds and the swirling starry skies. Feeling slightly awkward staring at it, I turned to my _lovely_ companion. _Well, this is awkward…._

"Um, any ideas?" I asked, a bit resigned, hoping he wouldn't propose something like "pureblood" or something Slytherin-ish.

"Ummm….well, we could start with the view, and base it off of that. Let's see, it's a starry night…well, that makes me think of the painting Starry Night, so…how about Van Gough? That would be pretty hard for others to deduce," Malfoy said, almost as though to himself. When I didn't respond due to my jaw being on the floor, he looked over at me. "What? I'm not one of the smartest people in the school because my family is rich or something. There isn't just empty space between these ears, Granger."

That's the second time tonight he's caught me off guard! Maybe I've been a little harsh on him these past years, thinking he's just been a sniveling, good for nothing weasel. There may be some hope for him after all…

"That sound's good…" I said quietly, realizing it was a pretty good password. Malfoy snorted at my surprise, said "Van Gough" to the window, and proceeded to walk straight through what seemed like a bit of wall, stone, and glass. I repeated the password and walked on through behind him. I felt a momentary sense of coolness, like I had just passed through water, but came out dry.

I followed Malfoy out of the entrance, and into a common room that was more amazing then I could have possibly imagined.

There was a massive fireplace, and surrounding its flickering light, two large armchairs and a sofa sat. The chairs and sofa were velvet and black, and as I went to go and sit on the couch, I was beginning to consider sleeping on it.

The room was only slightly smaller than the Gryffindor common room, and the ceiling was a glassy, black marble.

"Wow," I murmured. I looked at Malfoy who seemed to be in a similar state of awe. When I looked in his direction, I caught sight of another door over his shoulder. I walked over and opened it, revealing a little kitchenette with a small table. I opened the fridge, and low and behold, it was stocked with food.

"Well, isn't this nice!" I heard Malfoy say from behind me. I only nodded, giving up on trying to figure out Malfoy's hot and cold moods this evening.

"How about we check out our rooms?" I suggested. Malfoy turned and went up the stairs in the common room. I followed, and as I reached the top, I saw little arrows decorated with Malfoy's names and mine.

"'Night!" I said to Malfoy, trying to be polite. He just turned away and closed the door to his room.

Our doors were facing each other, and down the hall I could see the door to the bathroom.

I held my breath in anticipation and slowly opened my bedroom door, only to feel the breath rush out of me as I saw the interior of the room. It was not huge, but almost every wall was covered with bookshelves. A full-size bed with a plum colored comforter lay in the corner, with my trunk at the foot of the bed. I looked around at all of the books, spotting the completed works of William Shakespeare, Edgar Allen Poe, and random titles for magic that looked fascinating. As I looked over all of the shelves, I realized there must have been more than half of the Penguin Classics, which was remarkable.

My eye finally fell on the one book I had been looking for since I had walked into the room and seen the bookshelves: _The Tales of Beedle the Bard_. After all that it had been a part of my life last year, I couldn't bring myself to part with it. But the book that was on the shelf was not my copy, and so I walked over to my bag that had been left by the bed, and took out the ancient copy.

When I went to replace the other version, however, I would not easily slide from the shelf.

Puzzled, I tilted the book to see of it was stuck on the bottom, but it leaned easily. Then, to my profound astonishment, the bookcase swung around to present a brightly lit passageway. I cautiously walked into the hallway, remembering Professor Dumbledore's parting words: "Make sure you…explore. Not all is as it seems." As I set foot in the passage, the bookcase swung back, closing me in and making me jump.

"Typical, damn secret passageways,' I muttered darkly to myself, too caught by the irony to be really frightened.

I walked to the end of the short passage, and what it revealed was even more shocking then my room: I was a dance studio. I let out a girlish squeal of delight and ran over to the grand piano in the corner of the room. I had no idea how to play it, but this was Hogwarts; the piano was sure to be enchanted. As soon as I thought it, Claude Debussy's "Claire de Lune" filled the room, and I watched as invisible fingers played the ivory keys.

I ran my hand over the smooth barre next to me, feeling at home. The room was the same size as my studio at home, with a mirror filling up the entirety of one wall. The barre went all the way around the three remaining walls. As the calming melody of Claire de Lune seeped into my head, I began to realize how tired I felt. Excited about my discovery, I sauntered back through the studio entrance, back down the passage, and the bookshelf turned at my slightest touch.

I wandered back into my room and began to get ready for bed. I got into my ratty old T-shirt and sweatpants, grabbed my toothbrush and hairbrush, and went into the bathroom. I was not huge, about the same size as my bathroom at home. The tub and shower were white, and the room was white as well, with a green stripe of tiles going around it. _Not too shabby_.

I didn't feel like investigating what was on the other side of the second door in the bathroom, figuring it was probably a closet. I proceeded to brush my teeth and wash my face quickly, and then I stumbled back through the door that connected my room to the bathroom.

As I climbed into bed, the only thought that crossed my drowsy mind was: _I have all of this luxury, intelligence, and friends…. what's missing?_ Again, my mind traveled to the lonely place it had settled in on the train, and I sighed. I was a hopeless romantic, and I couldn't help but hope that this year, it would be different for me. I wouldn't be alone anymore. The strong arms of my imaginary protector circled around my waist as I dropped into the realm of deep sleep.

* * *

Beep beep beep beep

I sat up straight to the sound of my alarm. It wasn't supposed to work inside Hogwarts, but it seemed Dumbledore had made an exception for my room, trying to make everything more home-like.

I always got up at 6:30 on the first morning before classes, even thought I didn't start until 9:00. I felt that the first days were always the most important, and today was going to be my last first day at Hogwarts. I rolled groggily out of bed, noticing the dresser that was across from the bed that I hadn't noticed the night before. Shuffling over to it, I discovered that the house-elves had taken the liberty of unpacking my clothes for me. Bless them. After the whole S.P.E.W. craze had worn off for me, I had finally been convinced that these elves did truly enjoy helping out, as long as they weren't abused like poor Dobby.

The dresser matched the bookshelves in the room, along with my bed. It was dark wood, with a slight uneven look to it, making it look like a carpenter had just cut the wood out of the tree and polished it. I liked it though, it seemed more natural, and it was quite beautiful. On top there was a large mirror. I gazed wearily at my bed hair and looked away. I decided it was time for me to do something about that hair. I rummaged around in my book back, and pulled out a witch's magazine that Lavender had given me last year. I grimaced at my seeming shallowness, but I was getting tired of the bushy mass that was my hair. Granted, it was silk soft, but it didn't look like that.

I flipped through the magazine until I got to the article on appearance spells. It had several enchantments for changing looks, but the most basic one was one where you visualized what you wanted yourself to look like, and you muttered the incantation " ". I imagined the way I wanted my hair to look: soft mahogany curls, smooth and cascading that had the smallest glint of copper and gold. Waving my wand over my head (and feeling like an idiot while doing it) I murmured the spell, and instantly felt something different. Opening my eyes, I looked in the mirror and gasped. My hair looked…..good!

Satisfied with the turnout of my hair, I did my make up the same way, hoping for a natural, glowing look. Again, I was pleasantly surprised how it turned out. I still looked like Hermione Granger, but my face was framed by shiny, smooth waves that cascaded past my shoulders, with a sweep of hair above my eyes, and my eyes were wide and doe-like, and although it didn't look like I was wearing make up, my features seemed slightly more pronounced, in a good way. I was rather frightened at how different I looked, but I was tired of being the know-it-all bookworm. I could let the self-expressed girl from my dance studio come out a little bit this year, after all, what did I have to lose? It was my last year, and I would make the most of it.

Still in my pajamas, I flounced out of my bedroom and down the stairs, in search for a small bite to eat. I checked the cupboards, looking to see what there was stocked up. To my intense delight, I found a bag of whole bean COFFEE! I grabbed the bag, and began to dance around the kitchen, making a pot of coffee, and I started to sing a song by one of my favorite muggle singers, Mika.

Do I attract you

_Do I repulse you_

_With my queasy smile?_

_Am I too dirty?_

_Am I too flirty?_

_Do I like what you like?_

_I can be wholesome_

_I can be loathsome_

_I guess I'm a little bit shy_

_Why don't you like me?_

_why don't you like me_

_without making me try?_

I opened another cupboard and pulled out my favorite cereal, not altogether surprised to find it there after all of the other wonderful things I had found. I continued to dance and sing as I poured some of it and some milk into a bowl.

I try to be like Grace Kelly, mmmm

_But all her looks were too sad_

_Aahhhh_

_So I tried a little Freddy, MMMM_

_I've gone identity maaaaad!_

_I could be brown_

_I could be blue_

_I could be violet sky_

_I could be hurtful_

_I could be purple_

_I could be anything you like_

_Gotta be green_

_Gotta be mean_

_Gotta be everything more_

_Why don't you like me?_

_Why don't you like me?_

"Why don't you walk out the door?"

"Well, I would, Granger, but I'm having far too good of a time watching you," a silky voice said from behind me. I jumped, spinning around and almost sending my bowl of cereal flying. Draco Malfoy was standing in the doorway, wearing nothing but a pair of gray sweatpants. I looked him up and down, and then blushed and turned away, although I probably wouldn't be forgetting his sleep tousled hair and…the rest of him, any time soon.

"Why on earth are you up at such an ungodly hour?" he questioned, rubbing his eyes and glaring at me. "I was having a particularly pleasant dream until I woke up to the sound of someone banging around."

"I'm a morning person, deal with it Malfoy," I said, not willing to let the ferret ruin my good mood.

"Don't get me wrong, I am too, but 6:30? That's a little extreme, don't you think?" He complained, but I just rolled my eyes and poured myself some coffee.

"What happened to you? You're different." The words spilled out of my mouth before I could stop them. _Damn good moods and slippery tongues…_

Malfoy raised his eyebrow. "Well you see, when boys come of age, they tend to start looking more—"

"Not physically! I don't need a human body lesson. I just meant…why are you being nice? Or, well, nice for you?"

"I'm not sure whether that was a compliment or not…" Malfoy looked confused, like he was thinking. Finally, he said in a quiet voice, "I'm not my father. I don't want to be like him."

His answer startled me. I had always thought that his father was Malfoy's idol. I guess I was wrong. This really put a new meaning on the quote "Don't judge a book by its cover" for me.

"Isn't that what you've wanted for all these years? I'm confused."

Malfoy gave me a look so cold and distant that I almost shivered, regretting my question.

"What do you really know about me, Granger? Why am I even having this conversation with you?" His eyes were full of pain that I could not comprehend, and I was taken aback at how wrong I had been about him. With a drawn, blank expression, Malfoy left the kitchen, successfully finishing the conversation the way both of us were used to.

I sighed, looking down at my soggy bowl of breakfast cereal. Good mood officially ruined. I was confused. Was I actually starting to feel sorry for the classmate that had made my life hell since first year? And _why_ did I have that reaction to seeing him without a shirt? It was embarrassing, and if I was going to be living with him, I should probably get used to seeing him in less clothing more often, without blushing like an eleven-year-old.

This year is turning out to be quite interesting…And it's only the beginning.

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**I hope you all like this chapter :) let me know...hit? miss? review!**

**3 gymrat**


	4. Awkward Turtle

The Great Hall was a ruckus of noise, with friends greeting friends and comparing class schedules when I walked in. I was almost bowled over as one boy shouted with enthusiasm and ran over to embrace his friend, rushing past me. I started to stumble backwards out of the way, tripping the process.

However, rather than being met by the ground, I bumped into someone, taking them down under me. I was rather well off, as the object's arms wrapped around me and kept me from hitting hard as I fell, but it couldn't have made their fall any nicer.

I rolled off the person frantically, turning to apologize to whoever had been the victim of my clumsiness, only to be met with the silvery-blue eyes of Malfoy.

"Are you going to make crashing into me a habit, Granger?" he groaned, struggling up to a sitting position.

"Maybe you shouldn't lurk so close behind people, then I wouldn't have knocked you down with me!" I huffed, my cheeks flushing with anger and embarrassment. I saw him open his mouth to retort, but finding my patience wearing thin, I quickly turned and stalked away towards the Gryffindor table before he could utter a sound.

"Hermione!" I heard my name shouted above the din. I turned to see Ron waving his hand madly at me, beckoning me over to join him. I smiled, glad to see one of my friends after having to spend the past few hours with the Ferret.

"'Morning Ron," I said with reinforced cheer. Glancing around us, I noticed a couple of my friends were absent. "Where are Harry and Ginny?"

"Harry dashed in a bit ago, grabbed some toast and headed out. I think he and Ginny were planning on taking a walk around the grounds before classes. But that's all I know, and as Ginny's older brother, that's all I want to know." He began spooning eggs onto his plate, followed by a few kippers, some toast, and a heap of potatoes. I looked on in disgust.

"How on earth can you eat that much? Do you ever stop?" I questioned, losing my appetite as Ron shoveled food into his mouth like a starved man. Ron got a curious look on his face.

"-Ermione—" he began, but I put up a hand to silence him.

"At least pretend you have some manners." I interjected. He swallowed his painfully large mouthful and started again.

"How is your new common room?"

"Well…" I didn't really know how much I should tell him about my new dormitories, because I was certain that any topic like this would lead straight to a rant about Malfoy, and I had had my fill of those rants to last me until I graduate. "It's very nice, it has a kitchenette and everything" I said, avoiding the subject of my room, the hidden dance studio, and Malfoy.

"Well, that's cool," Ron said awkwardly. There was a tense silence, and I pretended to be extremely interested in my breakfast. I could feel Ron staring at the side of my face, and I could feel myself blushing. I really hoped that Harry and Ginny would decide to cut their walk short, the tension was insane.

"So, did you do anything special this summer, 'Mione?" Ron finally said.

"Not much…I finished all of my homework in the first week, so I got the rest of the summer to relax," I replied vaguely. For some reason I had a strong urge to be alone. I didn't like the way that Ron was still looking at me; it was confusing. And I wasn't in the mood to make awkward conversation after my morning with Malfoy.

"You would do that," Ron said, smiling fondly at me. Okay, that was it, I was getting out of there. He was smiling a bit _too_ fondly.

"He Ron, I think I'm going to go get my schedule from Professor McGonagall and then head to the library, I'll see you later," I rushed out, getting to my feet. Ron looked crestfallen.

"Why do you have to go to the library so soon? What on earth could you possibly need to research without having started classes?"

"Umm…I have to….uh…check out a copy of _Hogwarts: A History_ before they're all gone," I created wildly.

Ron snickered. "'Mione, you're the only one who reads that book. I'm sure there are a million copies left. And you haven't even touched your breakfast!"

"Sorry Mom," I grumbled, slinging my bag over my shoulder, rolling my eyes. "And Ron," I said, turning back to him. He raised his eyebrows. "Don't call me 'Mione." And with that I stalked through the rows of benches and out the doors of the Great Hall.

I didn't understand why Ron seemed to be acting so different around me. Granted, I hadn't seen him all summer, so maybe I had just forgotten how he was, but he seemed almost…attracted to me. Teenage boys' hormones seemed to be on a constant rampage, so I hoped that he would get over his little fixation within a couple of days.

I walked down the corridor towards Professor McGonagall's office to pick up my schedule. Only then did I remember that I had talked to her about adding an "elective" sort of class to my schedule. I wondered what she had in store for me. If it were choir, I would talk about trading classes immediately. It's not that I couldn't sing, it's just that I get really self-conscious about it. Maybe it was some art class…But I dismissed that idea almost as soon as it came. Witches and Wizards did not do art the way that muggles did, because they created paintings that moved, and I doubted that Hogwarts had a class like that.

My brainstorming was cut short as I opened the door to the Professor's office. She looked the same as ever: sharp features, dark green robes, and her hair in a strict bun at the back of her head. At first glance, she seemed harsh, but I had had the privilege to know her outside of class, and I had seen those beady eyes soften and her eyes crinkle with frequent smiles.

"Good morning, Professor," I called from the doorway, alerting her to my presence. She glanced up from the extensive piece of parchment she was reading, smiling when she saw me.

"Ah, Ms. Granger! I was wondering when I'd be seeing you. Come in, come in." I came in and sat down on the armchair across from her desk.

"So, I came to get my schedule!" I said, sounding a little awkward.

"Oh of course! Give me just a minute…." And she opened a drawer by her desk, rifled through a few folders, and pulled out a piece of parchment with my name on the top, handing it to me.

"I know that you were looking forward to a different sort of class this year, and so I added an elective. You still have the NEWT level classes for Transfiguration, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Potions, Charms, and Herbology, but I replaced your History class with something…fun." McGonagall said, smiling up at me.

I looked down at my schedule and my mouth dropped open in shock. Right there, as my last class of the day was….._Dance_. I was so happy I almost squealed. Not only would I be able to practice in my hidden studio, but I could also get coaching, which is something that I haven't gotten in years. I turned to McGonagall, who seemed to be enjoying my reaction.

"Thank you, Professor!" I exclaimed. I had a sudden urge to give her a hug because I was feeling so giddy, but I decided against it. Instead I smiled broadly and turned around to leave. A nice walk around the lake before my Potions class with Professor Slughorn sounded quite nice right about now.

I strolled through the halls, feeling a new bounce in my step, heading for the Front Doors of the school. When I reached them, I saw Harry and Ginny entering, both looking rather giddy. Ginny didn't have a hair out of place, but Harry's hair looked a little messier than usual. I rolled my eyes, knowing what they had been doing on that little walk around the lake. I'm not sure how much "walking" got done….I smirked.

"Hey! Hermione!" Ginny noticed me approaching them.

"Hi guys! How was your….walk?" I managed to put just enough of a pause before saying "walk." They both had the decency to flush a little.

"It was nice," said Harry, regaining his composure quickly. "It's really a nice day outside, too bad none of us take Care of Magical Creatures anymore! I wouldn't mind spending all day out there. But we have classes. Which sucks."

"Tell me about it," Ginny intoned, sighing. "So, Hermione, have you had breakfast yet?"

"Yea, I went in for a quick bite and Ron was there, and then I left to go talk to McGonagall about my schedule for the year, which, I'm pleased to say, is _amazing_." I ended with a smile.

Harry laughed. "Hermione, you would think anything was amazing as long as it required schoolwork. Oh, you were at breakfast with Ron? How was that?"

Wait, what? What was he asking me about my breakfast with Ron? He seemed a little bit like he was forcing a nonchalant expression whilst asking me too….

"Uh, breakfast was fine…you know, we ate, talked….not much."

"Its okay, Hermione, you can tell us how enormously awkward it was," Ginny interrupted, rolling her eyes. "We saw the way that he was looking at you on the train. You'd think he'd never seen a girl with boobs before!"

I blushed, feeling awkward about discussing my….uh….assets, in front of Harry. But he was just smiling sympathetically towards me.

"Yea, I guess it was awkward…He kept smiling funny at me, and he was staring a lot. And then he didn't want me to leave, which made me want to leave more….I don't know, it was really confusing," I said, shrugging my shoulders.

Ginny was annoyed. "You know, he had years to get on that, but he doesn't say a word. And I knew you liked each other for a while second and third year, but _come on!_ You're not going to wait forever. He decides he doesn't want to make a move until you've got all curvacious?"

I had to laugh at her word choice, and even Harry chuckled.

"'Curvacious', Ginny? Really?"

"Harry, I'm just saying that he had his opportunity to tap that and he didn't. He needs to get over himself," Ginny responded, heatedly. Harry held his hands up in surrender.

"I'm not disagreeing with you, love." He turned to me. "Well, we should let you make your quick escape to the grounds before class. Ginny and I will try to talk to Ron, we'll see what we can do, alright?" He gave me a quick hug, before putting his arm around Ginny's shoulders and turning to leave.

As they were leaving, Ginny said, "Don't worry, we'll kick his ass for you if he gets outta line, brother or not. See you!" And with that they entered the Great Hall, leaving me to my walk.

* * *

**Hey, sorry for the late update...tell me what you think! I loooooove reviews, so please give me feedback!**

**3 gymrat**


	5. Beautiful Day

**Chapter 5**

I went out the oak front doors and was immediately hit by a warming beam of late summer sunshine. I closed my eyes for a moment, letting it seep into my bones and melt away all of the thoughts that had been recently plaguing my mind.

I went down the stone steps and took a right, towards the lake and a special little tree by it that was a frequent haunt of mine during the warmer days. I strolled over and set my bag down on the grass, and proceeded to sit down myself. The grass was cool, but not wet, so I decided to lie down and close my eyes for a little bit. I enjoyed watching the colors that the leaves moving made behind my eyelids, and I finally felt peaceful.

I would have to face Ron eventually, but right now that could all wait. I didn't have class for another half hour, so I took out my book. It was _Pride and Prejudice_ by Jane Austen, who was a muggle. I didn't know why, but her novels always but me in a good mood, despite the sometimes unhappy scenes she depicted. _Pride and Prejudice_ had always been my favorite, because I loved the complicated relationship that developed between Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy. I secretly hoped that one day I would meet a man that I would be the intellectual match of, one that would love me despite my birth, my rather plain looks, and my obvious obsession with academics.

I knew I was a hopeless romantic, and reading these books didn't help my predicament. My mother would sometimes say that I would never find a "suitable" guy to be my boyfriend or husband, because my books had painted an ideal man that could never exist. One that was handsome, witty, kind, tall, strong, intelligent…..and completely in love with me.

I sighed aloud, feeling a bit pathetic. I knew I couldn't find this guy in a million years, but hey, a girl can dream, right?

I was just getting to the part when Mr. Darcy professes his love for Elizabeth for the first time, when I realized that my class would be starting in about ten minutes, and I should probably pack up and get there.

I shoved my book into my bag and clambered to my feet, taking a look around, hoping to fix this peaceful image of nature in my head to get me through the rest of my day. As I looked up at the castle, I noticed a streak of blonde disappearing behind the front doors, and I realized I had not been quite alone in absorbing the tranquil morning before classes. I was glad that Malfoy had some decency and hadn't come over to tease me while I was so oblivious.

Now was not the time to puzzle over why Malfoy had decided to be considerate, because I had a class to get to. I pulled my schedule out of my pocket as I hurried towards the front doors, seeing that I had Transfiguration first.

When I got to class without incident, I took a seat at the front, glancing around to see if any of my other Gryffindor friends had arrived yet. I looked back and saw Lavender Brown, and I decided to talk to her quickly before class, just so I wouldn't be sitting awkwardly by myself.

"Lavender!" I called, making eye contact with her. The petite brunette gave me a once over and beamed. As I reached her desk, she was wiping away fake tears from her eyes.

"Oh my, our little Hermione is all grown up!" I laughed, blushing slightly. Lavender wasn't a close friend of mine, and sometimes I couldn't stand her girly-ness, but she was a genuinely nice person.

"Yea, I decided to change things a bit this year, given it's the last one….I used that magazine you gave me last year, so thanks. What do you think of the hair?" I asked, feeling a sudden burst of confidence and striking a model-esque pose. Lavender and Parvati whistled.

"Dayuumm," said Lavender, winking at me playfully. "The guys wont know what hit them. Who are you and what have you done with the frizzy-haired bookworm from our first year?" she teased.

"She decided to come out of her shell," I responded, liking my new found confidence. "Anyhoo, I just wanted to see what you thought. Thanks again for the tips!" Lavender smiled, and I turned to walk back to my desk.

While I had my short little exchange with Lavender, the class had filled up. Apparently not noticing that I had already gotten a seat, Ron and Harry had taken seats on the other side of the room from me. I was a little disappointed, but I knew I had all my other classes to sit with them, so it wasn't a big deal. And then I noticed whom we shared this class with, and my day got a little darker: The Slytherins. I felt like groaning out loud, but instead I just clenched my fists and went back to my seat. Only then did I notice the boy who had taken the seat next to mine, and I didn't know how my day could get any worse. Draco Malfoy and I were going to be working together for the rest of the year, unless one of us moved quickly before Professor McGonagall came in. I decided, stubbornly, that it should be him, because I had gotten there first.

I reached my seat and slumped down, looking over at Malfoy. He just glared.

"Um, Granger, I know your secretly obsessed with me and you want to be with me, but there was someone already sitting there, and if you don't mind, I would like to be able to take my Transfiguration class without feeling nauseous from the smell of Mudblood." That last comment was like a smack in the face.

"For your information, Malfoy, this bag was mine, as it says in big writing. It's good to know you can read. And if you don't want to be my partner, I suggest you move, and quickly, because I was here before you sat your arrogant ass down" I said in a dangerously sweet voice. Malfoy looked shocked that I was standing up to him, and so rather than retort, he grabbed his bag and stood up to move.

"Now where do you think you're going, Mr. Malfoy?" said Professor McGonagall, entering the classroom. He froze, realizing that he hadn't moved fast enough.

I cut in, hoping to save myself from sitting next to the ferret. "Professor, Malfoy was just moving before class started, because he thought that some other students would benefit more if they sat in the front of the class" I invented wildly. Malfoy raised his eyebrows at me, and I shot him a glare, daring him to say anything.

"As, er, generous as that sounds, you all know full well that as soon as I walk in the classroom, class has started, and there is no going back." She then turned and addressed the whole class, as Malfoy slowly slid back into his seat. "These are the seats that you will have for the rest of the year, so I do hope you have chosen well for yourselves." With this she looked over her glasses at Malfoy and me, both of us sitting rigid, with our chairs as far apart as possible.

She turned back around, and started class. Because it was the first day back, we had a relatively easy period in which we transformed some rats into fluffy little cushions and back. I had done this sort of small thing a thousand times before, so I let my mind wander during the class, trying to come up with a way I could persuade the professor to let me move. The tension between Malfoy and me was palpable, and I wasn't sure I would be able to handle it all year. Finally, the class was dismissed, and I felt my body relax as Malfoy pushed out his chair and bolted out the door without a backward glance. I didn't have much time until my next class, and so I decided that I would catch up with McGonagall at lunch.

I pack up my stuff and went to meet Ron and Harry, who were waiting by the door for me.

"What's with you getting stuck with Malfoy this year?" Harry said when I reached them, exasperated for me. "You just can't seem to get a break from him!"

"I don't like it," Ron huffed. "He doesn't deserve to sit next to you." This was an odd statement to make, but I just ignored it.

"I'm going to talk to McGonagall later about it, so can we just forget about that slim ball for a bit? I don't want him to ruin the rest of my first day." The two boys just nodded, and we headed together to our next class, Defense Against the Dark Arts. I was curious as to who our new teacher was, but as I turned to confer with my friends about my inquiry, I saw that they were in a heated discussion about Quiddich, and I stopped.

This was a hard thing about having two guys as your best friends: they always talked about sports. I mean, I had Ginny too, but whenever she was around, she and Harry were attached at the hip. I think what I wanted the most, more than just a friend who didn't have a Y chromosome, thought, was someone who had the same interests as me; who like books of all sorts, music (not the wizard crap…real music), and dancing. I wanted to be able to hold a conversation without quidditch, horcruxes, or Voldemort infiltrating its way in. I loved Harry and Ron like my brothers, but I needed some new friends.

By the time I had come to this conclusion, we had reached our Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom. Looking around inside, I tried to find a hint as to who the teacher might be. Next to me, my friends were coming to a realization.

"Hey! I wonder who the new teacher is…" Ron mused excitedly. I rolled my eyes at him, then shrugged my shoulders.

"Dunno," said Harry. "I hope its someone good though. I don't want to waste my last Defense Against the Dark Arts class with a dud of a teacher."

"Then I hope I do not disappoint you, Mr. Potter," said a shockingly familiar voice behind us. We spun around, only to be met by the sparkling eyes and shaggy brown hair of none other than….Remus Lupin.

"Remus!" I shouted, without thinking. Then, remembering where I was, I said, "Oh, I mean, Professor Lupin! It's so good to see you!" **(AN: He didn't die, just FYI…)**

He grinned at us, looking younger than I had seen him look in a long time. The circles under his eyes were still there, but the smile lines were more pronounced than ever, and he looked like the weight of the world had been lifted from his shoulders.

"So, Harry, I hope that my class isn't a 'dud'," he said, "and I think we should move out of the door way, I don't think people are appreciating being held up." He jerked a thumb over his shoulder at the loitering students looking confused behind him. We hurriedly backed up out of the way, turning around so we could claim seats at the front of the class.

The desks were set in pairs, so I made a move to go sit by a Ravenclaw girl in the front who was seated by herself, so that Harry and Ron could sit together, as they usually did. Before I could put my bag down and introduce myself, however, I felt someone grab my arm and try to steer me towards the two other empty desks in the front. I looked up, annoyed, to see Ron looking rather embarrassed.

"Sit with me, Hermione?" he asked quietly.

"It doesn't look like you're giving me much of a choice," I said sharply. I realized he didn't deserve that attack, so I added a wry smile. I looked at Harry, confused. "Why aren't _you_ sitting with Ron?"

Ron shot Harry an unreadable look, and Harry said in an unconvincing tone, "Er, I, um, want to meet new people?" He phrased it like it was a question. Before I could say anything, though, he had taken a seat next to the Ravenclaw, leaving me to follow Ron.

"Alright everyone! Lets get started!" said Lupin, clapping his hands together from the front of the room as I plopped down in my chair. "I do not know if you all remember me, but I'm—"

"Professor Lupin!" exclaimed Dean Thomas from somewhere in the middle of the room. His face was lit up as if Christmas had come early.

"Yes, thank you Dean. I am Professor Lupin, and I will be your Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher this year."

"How did we miss him being announced last night at the feast?" Ron whispered to me. Lupin heard him and smiled wickedly.

"You know, Ron, if you wanted to whisper in class and not get caught, you should have chosen a seat back with Pavarti and Lavender." The two girls blushed and put away the magazine that they had been reading behind their books, while Ron's ears turned pink. "But that is a question I can answer," Lupin continued. You did not hear because I was not here. I just arrived this morning, so this isn't just a surprise to you."

With this he walked up to the blackboard and began the class. I was enraptured the whole lesson, as he talked about what he did in the war, and set out a plan for the class for the year. By the time we were dismissed, I was starting to hope that Defense Against the Dark Arts would be close to the top of my favorite classes again. After the class was dismissed, we went up to talk to Lupin.

"Its wonderful to see you three—" was all he got out before we started bombarding him with questions.

"How is Tonks? Is she here?"

"What about Teddy?"

"Are all three of you moving to the castle?"

"How was your summer, did you go on a vacation?"

Lupin held his hands up, halting our torrent, and said calmly, "I would love to talk, but shouldn't you three be getting to your next class?" He shuffled some papers on his desk while we tried to postpone going to our next lesson. He suddenly looked up, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Soooo….I noticed you and Ron were sitting together…." He started, but I cut him off.

"No, we're not together, so don't even ask," I stated bluntly. I glanced over at Ron as I said it, and he looked slightly crestfallen. Lupin held up his hands in surrender.

"Sorry! Just curious…but really, you three should get to class. We can chat later, alright? You can come to my office after dinner." We all promised we would come later, and left to go to Potions with Professor Slughorn.

The rest of the morning passed in a blur, and before I knew it, we were heading off to lunch, and I was thoroughly enjoying my first day back at Hogwarts.

………………………………

**Hello again loves!**

**I'm so sorry that I haven't been updating very quickly, and some of you have been very persistent in reminding me **cough*keimasuda*cough**, but I'm doin my best here. As always, it is WONDERFUL to here what you guys think, so….review review review!!! Things will get interesting next chapter, I promise **

**Much love,**

**gymrat**


	6. We're The Dancers

"What do you guys have for your last class?" I asked as we left Herbology. Both Harry and Ron grimaced.

"Some dance class," Ron grumbled. "We talked to McGonagall this morning about adding a last minute elective, so she gave us one without telling us what it was. It wasn't until after we left her office that we bothered to look at our schedules…"

Harry tried to look cheerful, clapping a hand on Ron's shoulder. "Cheer up, mate! Maybe you could impress some girls with your lightness of foot!"

"Lightness of foot, my ass," Ron murmured. "What about you, Hermione? What class do you have?"

"Looks like I'm in your dance class!" I exclaimed. "Maybe we should head over to the class…"

Despite my feeling of nausea at dancing in front of people that knew me but didn't know I did ballet, I was rather excited to get back in the studio. Plus it would be hilarious to see peoples' faces when I pulled a triple pirouette out. I giggled quietly.

Harry, who was walking next to me, raised his eyebrow. "Care to share the joke with the rest of the class?"

"Oh, it's nothing…" All three of us walked in companionable silence until we reached the corridor where our class was to be. At the end of the hall, there was a pair of double doors that were opened, and I could see a set of ballet bars. My veins started pumping with adrenaline as I quickened our pace, saying, "We don't want to be late!" Honestly, what I was really thinking about was getting to put my hands on the smooth, comforting surface of the barre again.

We ran into the classroom and took in our surroundings. One wall was a mirror, while another two were wood paneled with bars running along the middle of them. The fourth wall was actually not a wall at all, but a huge window looking over the grounds. It was quite beautiful.

The rest of our classmates had already put their bags down and were leaning up against the walls, chattering nervously. Since this was an elective rather than a required course, there was a mix of Houses and ages. I saw Luna talking with the Ravenclaw girl from our Defense Against the Dark Arts class, and Ernie McMillan leaned against one of the walls while talking to Hannah Abbot. The Patil twins and Lavender Brown were chattering animatedly, and off in the corner, much to my surprise, sat none other than Draco Malfoy, immersed in a book. My nerves about dancing in front of all of these people that I knew suddenly spiked again as I noticed him sitting there in his corner.

After placing down our bags, we heard running footsteps from behind us. We spun around to see Ginny, Seamus, and Dean rushing through the doors. Ginny took Harry's hand, while Seamus and Dean awkwardly made small talk with Ron while trying to catch their breaths. They seemed to have arrived just in time, because the teacher entered moments later.

She was a thin woman, like most dancers, but had a rather toned, muscular look to her rather than the frail, wispy appearance of some dancers. She wore a green leotard with a matching skirt, tights, and leather ballet flats. Her hair was bright red and wavy, going all the way down to her hips. As she entered the room and began to speak, she started to braid it behind her.

"Hello everyone!" she said excitedly, clapping her hands together. Her face showed unmistakable signs of frequent smiles and laughter, and she could not have been older than twenty-seven.

"I am Professor Shannon Leroy, but please feel free to call me Shannon." Her voice was rather loud and cheerful, reminding me of my grade school ballet teacher. I immediately liked this teacher.

"Alright, let's jump right into business. For this first semester, we will be doing ballet, ballet, and more ballet. Second semester will be similar, but a harder level, and if you're lucky I will sprinkle a few jazz classes throughout the entire year, capiche?" All of the guys in the room looked horror-stricken, except for Malfoy, who had quietly put his book away and was listening to Shannon with seeming interest. I was so caught up by his un-Malfoy-like behavior that I didn't realize I was staring.

He suddenly turned his head straight towards me, catching me watching him. His silvery, steel eyes bore into mine with intensity, but not with the usual hatred. I was captured, unable to read the emotions hidden in the stormy depths. I was the first to look away, flushing slightly. Shannon continued to speak.

"If any of you have brought dance attire, you may go change into it in a moment. For this class, I want you wearing comfortable dance clothes that wont get in the way. Girls, this means a leotard with a skirt and tights, leggings, or shorts. Guys, that means a form-fitting T-shirt and preferably tights or leggings, but I know that will be impossible to make you wear those, so just get some good athletic pants." I glanced at Harry and Ron, who seemed thoroughly relieved at not having to wear tights.

"Girls, if your hair is long enough, put it in a pony-tail. If it is still too long, then you may have to put it in a bun. You will all be provided with a pair of ballet flats, unless you already have a pair, of course. Alright now, for those of you with clothes, go change in the dressing rooms on the right, there. The rest of you, come with me to get shoes and appropriate clothes for today's class. Chop chop!" Shannon clapped her hands together again, ushering most of the class into her office.

I grabbed my bag and headed off to the girls' dressing room, noticing that no one else had followed me. I was a little disappointed that I would be the only girl with previous experience. Oh well….

I dressed quickly, pulling on my favorite Yumiko leotard with black, micro-mini shorts. The leotard was a dark burgundy velvet, with golden trim around the sleeves and the neck. It was the "Sofiane" leotard model, so the neckline went straight across my collarbone and dropped down steeply in the back, while the sleeves were three-quarter length. I pulled my worn-out canvas ballet flats, and then stood up to face my hair in the mirror. I knew it was too long to pull back into a ponytail, so I twisted it up into a French twist, letting a few tendrils frame my face.

I gave myself a once-over in the mirror and smiled. I felt and looked at home, back in my dance clothes. I shoved my school bag in a locker and turned to walk back into the studio. I felt the happiness of doing what I loved again wash away any nervous butterflies that had settled since this morning.

I entered the studio again to find most of the class all dressed and ready. Harry and Ginny were standing together, talking to Ron, who was vehemently discussing the horror of the clothing he was being subjected to. I decided to go to the other side of the studio, so I could stretch. Shannon reentered the room and looked around at her newly uniformed students.

"Okay, so here's the deal. What you guys don't know is that this class is actually a bit of an audition. From what I've heard, a few of you can dance already, and it would be unfair for those people to have to re-learn the basics at the same pace as the rest of the class. So, who in here has experience in dance?"

I raised my hand slowly, looking around the rest of the class. No one else raised his or her hands.

"Only the two of you?" Shannon asked incredulously.

I was confused, because as far as I could tell, I was the only person with a raised hand. And last time I checked I was only one person. I turned to see if there was someone behind me raising his or her hand, and my jaw dropped in shock.

Draco Malfoy was standing there, wearing a white v-neck and black pants, raising his hand and looking a little sheepish. He caught my expression of shock and mouthed "What?" I just turned away, to surprised to form a witty response.

"Oh, and it's my Head Girl and Boy! How perfect!" Shannon continued. "What types of dance are you two trained in?" she asked, staring between us with evident excitement.

"I've been doing mostly ballet since I was 7, although I've taken some jazz as well…" said Malfoy behind me, without his usual air of arrogance. He glanced at me with a questioning look, waiting for me to answer.

"Um, I've been doing ballet since I was 4, and same thing with the jazz, and I had some modern and contemporary classes thrown in there somewhere…" I said quietly, feeling embarrassed and nervous again.

"That should be perfect! You guys can work on more advance stuff and do pas de deux!" She seemed ecstatic. "Alright, if you two could stay a little bit after class, then we can discuss your new rehearsal times." Then she turned away to address the rest of the class again.

"Since you were 4? You always have to one up me, don't you Granger?" Malfoy whispered in my ear from behind me. I turned around to give him a snappish retort, but then I realized that he was only inches from my face. Plus his eyes still did not hold the usual hostility, but something else…was that amusement. Flustered, I did what any mature young woman would have done in the situation, and I stuck my tongue out at him and whipped back around.

I was filled with a jumbled mixture of emotions: Scared at finally confessing my secret, excited to take specialized, individual rehearsals, and a little bit uncertain at having Malfoy as a dance partner. I think that last feeling was flooding out the rest, though. How could I dance with someone who had hated me for seven years?

I had little time to ponder this dilemma, as class had started. We went through all of the basics, slowly just like Shannon had warned. Watching Ron, on the opposite wall, was hilarious and yet painful. He was clearly not enjoying himself, and he was barely trying. Harry looked incredibly focused, but no matter how hard he stared at his foot, it would not point the way he wanted in to during the tondue combination. After a little while, I stopped watching my friends across the room. Instead I would sneak glances at Malfoy behind me. At first I was surprised at the beautifully sculpted arm that he held in second, but then I realized that he had always moved with a certain grace. I guess I was too busy hating him to realize that he was a dancer. He had perfect technique, and despite the basis that we were doing, he seemed to be perfectly at ease and lost in the music. After another nervous glance around the room at my struggling classmates, I relaxed a little and let the dancing take over my senses.

"Gorgeous extension, Hermione! Draco, tuck your hip under…. excellent! Hermione, you're trying to hard to get that turn out, let it come from the hips, that's it!" Comments from Shannon were thrown at the two of us for the entire class, one compliment or correction after the other. It was wonderful to be taking a class again, and by the look on Malfoy's face, he was enjoying himself as well. It was weird, see a look of happiness on Malfoy's face in my presence; usually he wore a scowl.

"Alright, guys, class dismissed! Ron, remember to practice those plies, alright?" The class scrambled to grab their bags and clothes and bolted for the door. Ron's ears were red with embarrassment as he sulked through the door after Harry. _That's alright guys, you don't have to wait for me, I'm good_ I thought to myself sarcastically. I swear, sometimes they could be such...boys. Oh well, occupational hazard, I guess.

Shannon walked over to where Malfoy and I were packing up our things slowly. "You two are absolutely fantastic. There is talent seeping from your skin! Now what I want you to do is figure out a class that you could switch to your last period so that you can come here a little bit earlier in the day when I don't have another class. Is that okay?" She spoke in a rush, clearly energized from the class that she had just taught.

I felt my face fall. My schedule was pretty much jam-packed, and there weren't any other classes offered that I could take. It seemed that I was going to have to stay in this class. Dammit. I opened my mouth to say something about this predicament, but Malfoy beat me to it.

"Actually, Prof- I mean Shannon, what with all of the seventh year classes mostly only having one section, I am kind of stuck with the schedule that I have. I suspect Granger would have the same problem, right?" He turned and looked at me coolly, eyebrows lifted.

"Yes, which really really sucks because I would love so much to take some private rehearsals. I have an idea though: We could have early morning rehearsals before our first class and stuff, and then while you teach the normal class, Shannon, Malfoy and I could work together in a different studio. I'm sure there are a million empty classrooms, and Dumbledore would surely let us…." I realized that I had used the words "Malfoy and I" in the same sentence without any negative connotation. Plus my words could be taken suggestively…. I mean, come on, _empty classrooms_. Ugh, why is my mind in the gutter? I've been hanging out with Ron and Harry for too long, it was starting to show.

As my train of thought took me elsewhere, my sentence faded off, and Malfoy had to elbow me (much harder than was necessary) to get my attention again. I glared at him, and he glared right back, clearly not wanting to have to stick around for much longer. Shannon was considering what I had said, while looking at us both, up and down. It was starting to make me uncomfortable, when she finally nodded.

"Alright, that works for me. Is that okay with you Mr. Malfoy? You'll have to be getting up early too, so it isn't just Miss Granger's decision…." Malfoy looked pained.

"What time is 'early'" he asked, grimacing.

"Probably 6:30, the lesson would start." Malfoy gaped.

"6:30? I mean, I guess that wont interfere with Quiddich…or classes…Okay, fine, I'm in. It _would_ be nice to take ballet again." Wow, talk about sentences I never thought I'd hear Draco Malfoy utter.

"It's set then! You can show up here at 6:30 and we can talk about all of our plans for the year then!" She turned around to go back into her office, but something caused me to get her attention. She turned back around, looking expectant.

"Um, if it's alright with you, I want to offer another suggestion. I know this may cross the, er, teacher-student boundaries, but I have a private studio in my room that we could possibly use for the morning class, if you wouldn't mind coming to our common room…" I hesitated, hoping that I hadn't freaked either her or Malfoy out by telling them that they could come dance in my room. Geez that just sounded weird.

"That would be perfect!" Shannon yelped, clapping her hands together. She seemed to look more like one of the Patil twins than a professor at that moment, but I decided to let it slide. She went to go skip into her office but she spun around suddenly. "By the way….you two have great chemistry, you'll be great partners." And before I could even sputter a response to such a random and crazy statement, she had waltzed in to her office.

Malfoy, without so much as a glance at me, marched off towards the door and out into the corridor. I was stunned. After all the civility during the class, he couldn't even say bye? I guess I shouldn't have expected anything from him but…..it was going to bug me.

"Hey! Malfoy!" I shouted down the hallway, as I hurried after him. People looked at me like I was crazy, Malfoy included, but I didn't care, I just kept going over to him. He gave me a funny look, turned, and continued to walk the way he had been going before. "Um, what the hell? I was kind of trying to talk to you, what's your problem?"

"Um, can we talk in the common room? People are staring. And it's weird." Malfoy said, shifting from foot to foot, glancing around nervously.

"Fine, but we need to discuss some things." I started walking briskly towards our common room. I could hear him stomping along behind me, and was slightly surprised that he was coming at all. We climbed through our portrait hole about a minute later.

I threw my bag down and spun around. "Alright, Malfoy, we aren't even 24 hours into the term here and already your mood swings are giving me whiplash. What gives? We have to live with each other, so we might as well make it as easy as possible."

Malfoy threw his bag down by one of the couches and plopped down, looking irritated. "Look, Granger, I already told you this morning that I didn't want to be like my father, alright? That was way more information than I intended to tell someone who has hated me since our first year. What more do you want to know?"

"That's fine, and I really appreciate that you said that, but if you don't want to be your father, why are you still blowing me off like I don't exist?" I asked heatedly.

Malfoy looked like I had hit him. "Like you didn't exist? I was talking normally to you in dance today, or did you forget? And it's not like I went 'EW I don't want to dance with her, she's in Gryffindor' when we were making our dance schedule. I actually volunteered to dance with you at six freaking thirty in the morning, every morning! Does that sound like I'm treating you like you don't exist?" He ran his hands through his disheveled hair, shaking his head slightly in incredulity. "I can not understand you."

"Okay, I'm sorry, you've been acting decent. Which is another thing that is kind of driving me crazy."

"So you want me to go back to making your life hell?" Malfoy said, exasperated.

"No, of course not. But if you're going to be nice, I'd rather you wouldn't just turn around and ignore me the next minute, you know what I mean?"

Malfoy sighed. "That won't be easy. I'll try, but I can't promise I won't slip up. Six years is a long time. But I'll try if you try."

"So, what are we now? I don't think we're friends, but would you mind being my acquaintance?" I asked, awkwardly.

"Uhhh sure, acquaintances it is." Malfoy laughed. "So we are going to be civil to each other from now on. Sounds good to me."

"Okaaaay…" I mumbled awkwardly. "So yea, that's all I had to say…"

"Alright, then I'll see you around. I'm going to go to dinner now…you coming?" Malfoy asked, scratching the back of his head in discomfort.

"Nah, I'm just going to stay here, fix myself something to eat, get ahead on some reading…" he snorted at the last thing.

"Mmk goodnight," he said, abruptly turning around to leave.

" 'night," I called to his retreating back. As soon as he left, I exhaled the breath that I had been holding and collapsed on the couch. This was going to be interesting, being on good terms with Malfoy.

I summoned my iPod from my bedroom (it worked, yaaaaay) and put on some soothing classical music. Before I new it, my eyelids were drooping….

…

Hi there my lovlies-

I am so sorry that I have not posted sooner, but this was just when I got this done. I think it's crazy that I couldn't publish anything over the summer, but somehow I managed to get a chapter up within the first week of school…Oh well, that's just how the universe works.

**Please read and review! All comments are appreciated.**

**Much love,**

**Gymrat101**


	7. Coffee and Confusion

**Chapter 7**

BEEP BEEP BEEP

I groaned, slamming my hand down to silence the annoying alarm. I had not had the best night; I had a bizarre dream that left me puzzled and confused. I lifted my head a few inches off of my pillow to look at my clock. It read 5:45 am.

_Why am I up this early again?_ I thought there was a reason, but I couldn't remember it. Then the previous day's events began to come back to me, and I remembered that I would be having a private rehearsal in my studio at 6:30.

Oh yeah, and Draco Malfoy and I had agreed to be civil to each other. Hell must have frozen over.

With this thought I got up and went to the bathroom to splash some cold water on my face. I would take a shower after class, but I needed to wake up. The water trickled down my neck and I instantly felt better, opening my eyes and smiling brightly at my reflection.

I returned to my room and started to get into a leotard and tights. I decided that I would wear another Yumiko, a spaghetti strap leotard in a deep, emerald green crushed velvet, and I threw on my black shorts and legwarmers, grabbing a pair of point shoes from my trunk.

After getting out all of my dance stuff (including a pair of old flat shoes, just in case Shannon decided not to have me do pointe today), I looked around my room. It wasn't too messy, given I had only been here a day, but I decided to straighten up, given Malfoy and Shannon would have to walk through here to get to the studio.

I quickly made the bed and put any clothing in my trunk, and that pretty much took care of everything, so I decided to go down to the kitchen to make some coffee. I tried to be quiet, just in case Malfoy was still asleep.

I put the coffee grounds in the coffee maker (why are all of these muggle appliances working?), but before I could close the top and hit "brew," I heard a voice from the doorway.

"Are you making enough for two?" asked a sleepy-eyed Malfoy. He was shirtless (again), wearing nothing but black pants and a disgruntled expression.

"You drink coffee?" I raised my eyebrows in shock.

He shook is head. "Not usually, but since I have to get up at this awful hour, anything that'll help me wake up is worth a shot," he said, grimacing.

"Well, I'm making a full pot, so there should be enough for the two of us."

He smiled blearily. "Excellent," he murmured, exiting the kitchen while stretching his arms over his head.

The coffee was finished a few minutes later, so I pulled out two mugs and poured out the steaming beverage.

"Malfoy, what do you want in your coffee?" I asked, peeking my head into the common room. He was sprawled on the couch, looking like he was about to fall asleep again. He had, however, gone and grabbed a t-shirt, so he looked ready for class, at least.

He cracked an eye open and looked at me.

"Uh, a little sugar, I guess," he mumbled, struggling to get up and follow me back into the kitchen.

I put sugar in both the mugs and then some milk that was in the refrigerator into mine. I then picked up both mugs and turned around to give Malfoy his cup. He smelled it gingerly, then took a tentative sip.

"Hmm, this isn't half bad! Thanks Granger."

"No problem." I was uncomfortable with him thanking me…gratitude just didn't usually enter into Malfoy's vocabulary, especially when it came to conversing with me. Rather than attempting to hold a strained conversation with my enemy-turned-acquaintance, I pulled out a book that I was reading and drank my coffee in silence. Before I could finish reading a sentence, however, Malfoy uttered the most peculiar thing.

"You know, you look very at home in those clothes," he said, appraising me in my leotard, tights, and legwarmers.

"Er, thanks…." Again, I didn't know how to respond to his being civil to me. Cue about 5 minutes of a painfully awkward silence.

"I'll let you read your book in peace, but when you're done with your coffee, maybe you should show me this secret studio you have so I can start warming up," he said, placing his now empty cup on the counter.

"I can do that now," I said, quickly swallowing the last of my own cup and setting it next to his on the counter. "Follow me…"

Let's just say, leading Draco Malfoy to my room and through it was an experience that I never thought I would have. As I opened my door, I braced myself for the comments he was sure to make. He had always been critical of me.

Instead of sneering at my purple bedspread or laughing at the walls covered in books, he just peered around curiously.

"Which book opens the passage?" he asked calmly. I just gaped at him.

"How did you know that's how it opens?" I asked, taken aback. He smirked at me.

"Come on, Granger, it's the easiest way to enter a secret chamber when you have this many books in a room," he said, rolling his eyes. "Plus, I have one in my room too. Well, it's not a dance studio, but I have a secret room behind my bookcases." I just stared. I didn't even think that Malfoy would have that many books, let alone enough books to fill the plural "bookcases" that he said occupied his room.

Shaking myself out of my incredulous stupor, I straightened my shoulders and walked over to _The Tales of Beedle the Bard_. I heard a chuckle behind me, and whipped around. I found Malfoy looking at me with that damn smirk plastered on his face.

"What, may I ask, is so amusing?" I snapped.

"It's just…" he chuckled again. I raised an eyebrow. "Sorry, it's just that you walk so much like a ballet dancer. I hadn't really noticed it that much before." I blushed at his words, choosing to ignore him.

"This is the book," I said with my back facing him, tilting the volume that opened the passageway. Malfoy followed me down the lit hallway without a word. When we reached the studio, he whistled softly, gazing around.

"Wow, Granger, you really scored," he murmured, striding to one of the barres. I smiled slightly.

"Yeah, it's nice to have this." I whispered, mostly to myself. More loudly, I said, "I'm going to go back to the common room and wait for Shannon. I can just stretch down there."

Malfoy nodded from where he sat on the floor, stretching his feet. I had to suppress a giggle as I turned around to leave. Watching Draco Malfoy stretch for a ballet class was so out of place to me, it was comical.

I left the studio and went back downstairs to wait for our instructor to arrive. I decided that I could just push one of the couches out of the way so I could stretch, because I wanted to be warmed up by the time she got here.

I was just sitting in middle splits when the portrait hole opened, revealing Shannon in ballet shoes and comfortable clothing. She looked very awake, and smiled down at me after peering around the common room.

"Ah! Good, I was hoping you would be stretching beforehand," she said, eyeing my position. She came over to me and adjusted me slightly, pushing me forward and down until I was flat on the ground. I yelped slightly at the pain, but laughed a little bit.

"There, that's the stretch. You're lucky, Hermione, it seems that you have natural flexibility," Shannon commented.

I blushed slightly at the compliment. "Thank you," I said quietly, with my face on the rug. Shannon chuckled dryly.

"Now now, don't let that compliment go to your head. There is more to ballet than just the flexibility, as you very well know! You have to be able to hold your leg up in these crazy positions, and you have to make it look effortless. That is what I'm here for, to help you develop these skills." From anyone else, this little speech would have been condescending, but from Shannon it just showed that she had a no-nonsense attitude about her classes.

I smiled back at her in reply, slowly pulling my legs together and standing up.

"Shall I show you to the studio? Malfoy is already up there," I said, walking towards the stairs. Shannon walked next to me.

"So, is that a thing between you guys? Like you call each other your last names like nicknames or something?" she queried. I was a little surprised at her question, and hesitated slightly before answering.

"Um, no, they aren't nicknames. We've been calling each other that since our first year. I guess you could say it's a demonstration of dislike, you know, refusing to call each other by the first name…" I felt a little uneasy mentioning mine and Malfoy's rather rocky history.

Shannon stopped on the stairs, gazing curiously at me. "You mean, you guys don't like each other? I feel like you would have bonded over a mutual interest in ballet." I snorted rather indelicately at this.

"Er, no. Until last night when we agreed to be civil to each other, Malfoy and I have been butting heads for almost six straight years. He hated me because of my blood status and being a Gryffindor, and I hated him because he treated me like slime for the longest time." I paused, letting her process this new information about her newly acquired private students. Then I continued, "And as for the ballet thing, I don't think that anyone knew that the two of us did dance until class yesterday. I was shocked when he said that he had been dancing for years…"

This new information floored Shannon, and she gazed in shock at me as we stood outside the door to my room. Then a slow smile crept onto her face.

"Ah, well, you don't have to love each other to dance well together." With that she pushed open my door and looked around. "So, uh, where is this dance studio?"

"Behind here," I said, showing her the book and how to open the passage.

When we got inside the studio, Malfoy was still on the ground, but he was stretching his legs now. He looked up when we walked in, and smiled politely at Shannon.

"Hello there, Draco, are you ready to get started?" Shannon asked, clapping her hands together excitedly. Malfoy nodded, rising slowly to his feet. "Excellent. Alright, first we'll do some basic combinations. We'll start with plies…." And from there on, she began to demonstrate the combinations. We did plies, tondues, and a few other combinations, so that by the time we had finished, I had a small sheen of sweat covering me.

Throughout all of the combinations, I paid close attention to Malfoy. I found that he was very good at pretty much everything. Even in basic combinations, his expression and grace was quite something to behold.

I caught him looking at me a few times as well, but I never saw the familiar sneer, which was a relief.

When we finished with those combinations, about 45 minutes had passed, leaving us only about half an hour for any partner work.

"Okay," Shannon said loudly, "as you guys can see, that took a little bit more of our time than we will usually have. I am hoping to designate these sessions to pas de duex, mainly, because you cannot practice it easily on your own without prior instruction. So here's what I want you to do: You can use the combinations that we just did as a template, so before I get here, do some variation of them. Then, by the time I get here, you will be all warmed up and ready for pas.

"Also, since this means you will have to get up earlier than you did this morning, I have decided that these early morning sessions should be only twice a week, every Tuesday and Thursday morning. Then we can have a longer private session on Saturday, but that does not have to start at 6:30, and it will be in the normal classroom, rather than here. We can figure our what time you'll want to come in on Saturday. Any questions?" she looked back and forth between Malfoy and me for a second.

I shrugged, and looked at Malfoy, making an "it sounds good to me" sort of face. He mimicked my expression, and we both turned back to Shannon who was smirking.

"Alright, on to the good stuff. Have either of you ever done pas de duex before?"

"Er, I did a couple of classes these past two summers, but nothing extensive…mostly basic," I replied, looking at Malfoy.

"I did a little bit this summer, but nothing too formal," he said, echoing my response.

"That's quite okay, that is why we're having these lessons! Since it seems that both of you are already very strong dancers by yourselves, I think that as partners you will either be fantastic or you will be constantly trying to outshine the other person. Let's make this clear; you are partners, first and foremost. Working together is what makes the dance beautiful, so I don't want to have too much ego thrown around in here, got it?"

We nodded in unison, which seemed to appease her.

"Okay, let's get going. We'll start with a basic exercise. Hermione, go put on your pointe shoes while I tell you both what you'll be doing." I jogged over to the corner where I had left my shoes, then came back over and sat on the ground next to Malfoy and Shannon, who remained standing.

"So, what we're going to do is this: Hermione, you will stand on pointe in passé, and Draco will have his hands on your waist. Draco, what I want you do to be leaning her forward, back, and to each side, and she will stay in passé. The point of this is so that you, Draco, can get used to putting Hermione on top of her foot. This can help you correct mistakes if she starts falling in a pirouette, and it will give you a sense of what it feels like when she is on pointe, so that in the future, when you are placing her on her foot, you wont drop her down at the wrong angle or something. Are you ready there, Hermione?" I had just finished tucking in my second ribbon and stood up on toe, warming up my feet a little bit.

We went to the center of the room and faced the mirror. Malfoy gingerly placed his hands on my waist, and I started a little.

"Don't worry, Granger, I won't bite," Malfoy said in my ear. I made a face in the mirror, but I changed my focus to the task at hand.

I did a quick plie and went up on pointe, bringing my leg up in a passé. When Malfoy began to tip me to the side, my hands shot on top of his in surprise and a little fear.

"Hermione, he won't drop you. But if it makes you feel better for now, keep your hands there," Shannon said from her vantage point of leaning against the barre.

This little exercise continued for a good 10 minutes or so until I was able to keep still and Malfoy was able to tell when I was on pointe. I felt like a doll being tipped over and back, and soon my legs started to cramp up. I switched legs several times, until finally we were able to go through the movements smoothly.

"I want you guys to do this on your own as well. It's a good strengthening exercise for you, Draco, and it will give you two a chance to build up some trust that seems to have been lacking in your relationship these past few years," Shannon intoned, smirking. "I think I'll let you guys be done for today, I have to go prep for the later class." She started to walk out, but then turned back when she was at the door.

"And I want you guys to come to the regular class today, just until I have another place for you to go during that period, okay? Besides, it's always good to cover the basics." With that she left the studio, leaving Malfoy and me standing there, sweating and tired.

It was only 7:30, and I was already exhausted. I could just tell that this was going to be a great day (note the sarcasm).

Malfoy cleared his throat, pulling me out of my morose thought process.

"Hey, Granger-"

"It's Hermione."

Malfoy just stared, shocked that I was correcting him after all these years.

"We called each other by our surnames before as a sign of our animosity. Since we are now pas partners and we have that little truce, I think it's only right that we start calling each other our real names," I explained. Malfoy smirked at my little speech.

"Alright then…._ Hermione_," he paused, clearly getting used to saying my name. "Would you mind showing me how to make the, er, coffee? I think it'll help to have it around if we're doing this early thing." He asked, looking a little awkward about asking a favor.

"Um, okay Malfoy, I can show you," I said, just as awkwardly.

"Draco."

"Excuse me?"

"You called me Malfoy. Since I'm calling you Hermione, you have to call me Draco." I winced, realizing my mistake.

"Yeah, okay, but just a warning, I'm probably going to slip up…a lot." He nodded in understanding, and followed me down to the kitchen to learn how to make coffee.

Well, this has been a surreal morning…

* * *

That day of classes was absolute hell. I was actually nodding off in Transfiguration! ME! Professor McGonagall had to rap her wand in front of me more than once, and Malfoy started to get irritated with my lax mental state.

"I'm not going to help you out when we have to actually do this spell, so wake up Hermione!" he hissed. He, of course, was perfectly awake and looking as beautiful as ever. _Wait, Hermione, you did _not_ just call him beautiful. That must be the sleepiness talking. Oh great, now I'm talking to myself._

Beautiful or not, Malfoy had probably gotten a lot more sleep than I had. He hadn't had a haunting dream with a faceless man dancing eloquently to Moonlight Sonata. Every time I tried to see his face, he shimmered and vanished before my eyes, leaving me alone with the haunting music. I HATE dreams like that! No logic whatsoever. It's maddening.

"Miss Granger?"

A voice broke into my reverie. Professor McGonagall was bending over my desk, peering at me.

"Miss Granger, are you alright? Shouldn't you be leaving for your next class?" I snapped my head around, seeing an empty classroom with Malfoy rolling his eyes in the doorway.

"Oh, yes, s-s-sorry, Professor!" I snatched up my books and walked towards the door, looking over my shoulder apologetically at McGonagall.

I turned back and walked into a solid mass.

"Oi! Granger, am I invisible to you?" Malfoy, aka the solid mass, yelped, backing up a few feet.

"Well sorry, I didn't think you'd still be in the doorway!" I snapped, stopping past him in a huff. Once in the corridor, I realized that I had been rude, especially because we had agreed to be civil. I stopped abruptly and turned around to apologize, only to have the moving Malfoy crash into me, knocking me over and pinning me to the group.

From on top of me, Malfoy looked down into my face, smirking. "We really need to stop doing this, Granger, or else someone might think you like touching me."

I shoved him off of me, and he rolled gracefully to stand up.

"You are an insufferable prat!" I growled, crouching down to pick up my books that had been scattered on impact. Malfoy, still smirking, leaned up against the wall watching me. "Malfoy, either you help me pick up my stuff, or for the love of Merlin, GET LOST!"

He knelt down to stopper an overturned bottle of ink, siphoning the spilled ink and returning it to the bottle with his wand, surprising me with his help.

"Aren't you going to ask why I waited for you after class?" Malfoy asked lightly.

I figured that you were just trying to annoy me to death…" I grumbled, stuffing the last piece of parchment in my bag. He smiled that damn smirk again. "You know, Malfoy, if you keep doing that your face will get stuck."

"Not a problem," he replied, still chipper. "I've been told this smirk makes me look irresistibly sexy." I scoffed at him and rose to my feet. "Se, even you're speechless in its presence. What's got your knickers in a twist?"

"If you must know, I didn't sleep last night. I had this horrible dream with this haunting dancer…ugh, never mind, it doesn't matter."

Malfoy frowned. "You still haven't asked why I was waiting and the door!"

I sighed. "Alright, Malfoy, why were you waiting for me?" I inquired, too tired to protest anymore.

He suddenly looked unsure and serious. "Well, um…to be honest, I felt kind of bad that Potter and the Weasel just left you alone. What's their problem, anyways? They seemed pissed." I just gawked at him.

"Wait, why do you care?" I asked, setting off down the corridor to my next class. He caught up easily. _Damn him being so tall…_

"Since we aren't sworn enemies anymore, why is it weird for me to make sure you're okay?"

"Alright, touché, I'm sorry," I said, pinching the bridge of my nose and sighing.

"Good. But you still haven't answered my question! What's up with you and your two 'besties'?" he asked, putting air quotes around "besties."

"Fine. If you must know, Harry and Ron are mad at me because I didn't tell them that I was a dancer, even though I have been for pretty much my whole life. As my best friends, you can comprehend why that would upset them. Plus, I think they might be mad that I forgot to visit Professor Lupin with them last night…"

Malfoy raised a golden eyebrow in astonishment. "Wait, they didn't know you did ballet? Hell, even _I _knew that. It's all in the way you hold yourself…plus, you walk like a duck."

"No I do not!" I exclaimed indignantly.

"Hermione, you always have your shoulders down and back, and you're always turned out. You walk like a dancer."

"Alright, fine, I do. But Harry and Ron probably just think I walk funny. They wouldn't know to connect it with ballet, like you did." I grumbled.

We had reached my Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom, where the class was still gathered outside. It was only then that I realized that Draco Malfoy had just walked me to class.

"Umm.." murmured Malfoy uncertainly, coming to the same realization as I had. "Uh, see you around, Hermione," he mumbled quickly, spinning on his heal and stalking off in the other direction. I sighed, then turned around to confront my two angry friends.

"What were you doing with that git?" Ron demanded, without preamble.

"Nice to see you too, Ronald," I snapped.

"Hermione, don't avoid the question," said Harry, as Ron flushed an unattractive scarlet color.

"Actually, Harry, he was wondering why my two best friends were being such toe rags," I retorted.

"We're sorry, Hermione. Well, I am, I can't exactly speak for Ron here. We did overreact a bit this morning…"

"A bit?" I raised my eyebrows in astonishment. Harry looked back with a look that clearly said "hey, I'm apologizing, so don't get too high and mighty."

"Yes, Hermione, a bit. It's just…you didn't tell us something about yourself that is kind of one of your favorite things, and as we've been friends for going on 7 years, you can understand why we felt a little betrayed. And then you show up to class with a guy who we've all hated since first year, so forgive us if we seem a little on edge." Harry looked truly apologetic, and I felt guilty about not telling him everything.

Ron, on the other hand, was still fuming. He had turned around and seemed to be giving me the silent treatment. _That's mature, Ronald…_

"Harry, can I talk to you about something?" I whispered, so that Ron couldn't hear me. Harry looked puzzled, but nodded. We walked a little bit away from the group so that I could say what I wanted to say without getting death glares from Ron.

"Harry….I don't really hate Malfoy…" At this, Harry's eyebrows shot up so high, the almost disappeared under his hair. Then he sighed, looking defeated.

"Don't ever tell Ron this," he said in a low voice, "but neither do I. After that time in the tower with Dumbledore, I realized that I had no idea what his life is like. And I mean, he saved Dumbledore's life up there, so he can't be all bad. I think his dad is the real menace in the family. Can you imagine growing up with that guy? And Malfoy's mom saved my life last year…I just can't be angry with them anymore, you know? Well, except Lucius Malfoy. I still hate him."

I just stared, open-mouthed. But as I looked back over the past couple of days, like on the train when we ranted about Malfoy living with me, I realized that it was pretty much a one man show; Ron's voice was the only one I could remember from that conversation.

Before I could talk to Harry about this, however, Lupin arrived and opened up the classroom. I have Harry an "I want to talk to you later" look and went to my seat, next to the still furious Ron.

"Hello, Ron," I said hesitantly. I did not want to fight with him, truthfully. We had done enough of that in the past six years. Ron abruptly turned to me.

"Go to Hogsmeade with me," he stated.

I shuffled the parchment on my desk nervously. His harsh stare was a bit intimidating.

"Of course I will. I always go with you and Harry…" I knew that wasn't what he was asking, but I didn't want to talk about…_that_ with him. He slammed his hand down on the desk, almost upsetting my bottle of ink for the second time that day.

"Dammit, Hermione, you know that's not what I'm asking. Why are you avoiding the question?"

"Ron, now's not the time. Class is starting," I murmured, directing my attention to the front of the room.

That was probably one of the most painful classes I've ever had to sit through. I have no clue what the lecture was about, given I was caught between trying to stay awake and trying to ignore Ron staring at me for the entire class. When class was over, I grabbed my bad quickly and headed up to speak to Lupin.

"Hello Hermione!" he greeted me. "You didn't come with Ron and Harry last night. Is everything alright?"

"Er, yes, sort of. Nothing I can't deal with on my own. But yeah, I was coming to apologize for my absence last night. I was pretty tired from rehearsal."

"Rehearsal?"

"Oh, um, long story…I'll see you later!" My plan had worked, because as I looked around the classroom, I noticed that Ron hadn't waited for me. I breathed a sigh of relief as I exited the class.

"So, Hermione, are you going to answer my question?"

I yelped and jumped about a foot in the air. It turns out that Ron had been waiting to ambush me, he had just done so outside of the classroom. My heart was racing at about a thousand miles per second. I set off down the hall and he caught up to me.

"I don't understand why you don't want to go with me," he said, all of the anger gone from his voice. I hazarded a glance in his direction, and instantly regretted it. He looked hurt and confused, and I hated that I was the one causing that look. He was one of my best friends, after all.

I stopped walking and turned to him, closing my eyes to make what I would say next easier.

"Ron, I love you, but you're like my brother. I'm so sorry, but I'll never love you as anything more. Please let that be enough." I opened my eyes and looked at his face. He looked utterly despondent, looking away from my imploring gaze. When he looked back, he had a smile on his face, but his eyes were still off.

"Joke's on you, Hermione," he fake laughed. "I was only kidding, I wasn't _actually_ asking you out. Come on, that would be…weird." He did that strained laugh again.

"Ron…" I didn't know what to say. He held his hand up to cut me off, and just shook his head. There was an awkward silence as we just stood there, looking at anything but each other. I reached out to give him a hug, but he pulled away, turning around and walking off in the opposite direction.

So there I was, standing in the middle of an empty corridor, exhausted and on the verge of tears. I spun around on my heel and ran to the hospital wing as fast as I could. Once I got there, I silently opened the door and went to Madame Pomfrey's office.

As I entered, she looked up from her desk and gazed curiously at me.

"Yes, Miss Granger?"

"I was wondering…" I began, my voice trembling with the tears that I would not cry yet. "I was wondering if you would excuse me from my classes today. I am feeling rather under the weather."

I could tell she knew I was lying, but she didn't ask any questions. Instead, after looking at me up and down, she stood up and gave me a hug.

"Here," she said, handing me a small vial from her desk when she let go. "This is a mild dose of a calming potion. It should make you feel a bit better. Take it when you get back to your dorm and just rest for the rest of the day. I'll tell your professors."

I thanked her profusely and ran back to my room. Once I opened my door, the floodgates were opened, and I fell on the bed, crying. I cried for the stupid situation that my best friend and I were in. I cried because it meant that it would be awkward and weird between us until this whole thing blew over. And I cried because I was just so confused and overwhelmed that I didn't have any idea what to think about anything else.

Once I had calmed down a bit, I took the drought that Madame Pomfrey had given me, and instantly felt better for it. I spent a few minutes lying on my bed, just thinking. I looked around my room, looking at all the books, and something caught my eye.

On top of my dresser was an envelope. The envelope that my dad had given to me when he left. The one he said I should wait to open until I had settled in.

Curiosity drove all other thoughts out of my mind. I jumped off the bed and ran over to my dresser, grabbing the envelope and tearing it open quickly.

My eyes caught an official looking heading with a logo bearing the letters "SFB" on it. I opened the letter and began to read…

_Dear Hermione Granger…._

* * *

**Hi there! I decided that since I have been so bad about updating, I would give you guys an extra long chapter, in the spirit of the holidays.**

**Sooo….Who is the letter from? What does it say? Well, my loves, you'll have to just wait and see… ;)**

**Happy New Year!**

**-Gymrat**


	8. Friendshipville

Previously in "Unexpected"…

_On top of my dresser was an envelope. The envelope that my dad had given to me when he left. The one he said I should wait to open until I had settled in._

_Curiosity drove all other thoughts out of my mind. I jumped off the bed and ran over to my dresser, grabbing the envelope and tearing it open quickly._

_My eyes caught an official looking heading with a logo bearing the letters "SFB" on it. I opened the letter and began to read…_

_Dear Hermione Granger…._

…

_Dear Hermione Granger,_

_On behalf of the San Francisco Ballet School, I would like to tell you that we found your audition tape very impressive. We would like to invite you to join our school as a Level 8, with the understanding that we would be considering you for a Trainee-ship for the company. We are offering a full-tuition scholarship and a place for you to live at Jackson House, the student housing. Please let us know of your decision at your earliest convenience. You would enroll for the Summer Intensive at the end of this academic year, starting in mid-June. Thank you for your time, and please respond by February 28__th__, at the latest. Have a pleasant year! We look forward to possibly having you in our school._

_Sincerely,_

_Lola de Avila_

School Associate Director

My eyes read the letter, over and over again. _Well that would take care of living arrangements for the next year or so_…This was the only clear thought that ran through my mind. Everything else was just a jumble of emotions: excitement, nerves, confusion, and shock.

I had sent the audition tape and application at the end of the summer, just to leave my options open for after I graduated from Hogwarts. I never in my wildest dreams thought that I would actually get in, I mean, San Francisco Ballet is one of the top schools and companies in the world! I had no idea that I would even be considered for a spot at a lower level, let alone at a higher level with a full scholarship!

Luckily, I didn't have to answer right away. This was going to take some time to sink in, and obviously I wanted to know all of my options before accepting. Plus, San Francisco is a long ways away…

I set the letter on my bedside table and grabbed my iPod again. I didn't want to think about the letter, or what had just happened with Ron, so I blasted a few of my favorite songs into the common room, amplifying the sound with magic.

A few minutes later, I was completely lost in the music. When one of my favorite songs, A Praise Chorus by Jimmy Eat World, came on, I started dancing through the common room like a maniac, doing random pirouettes, jumping up and down…I even grabbed my wand and pretended it was a microphone. When it came to the part in the song where it sang "crimson and clover, over and over," I just started spinning around, singing to the song with a hand in the air.

Crimson and clover over and over

_Crimson and clover over and over_

_Our house in the middle of the street_

_Why did we ever meet?_

_Start in my rock and roll fantasyyyy_

_Don't don't, don't let start_

_Why did we ever part?_

_Kick start my rockin' rollin' hearrrrrrrt_

_I'm on my feet, I'm on the floor_

_I'm good to go_

_So come on Davey, sing me something that I know_

_I wanna always feel like part of this was mi-i-ine_

"I wanna fall in love tonight!" I yelled, jumping on the couch, finishing the song with energy. I smiled happily as a slower song came one, collapsing on the couch to just listen to the next song.

However, as I closed my eyes to let the calming music take over, I heard a noise coming from the direction of the portrait hole. I sat up and looked over, only to freeze in place.

Standing there, looking like he was trying very hard not to laugh, was Draco Malfoy.

When he saw that I had spotted him, he doubled over and started laughing. Not like his mocking chuckle that I usually heard; a full-out whooping laugh. I think I blushed about 50 different shades of red, flicking my wand at my iPod to turn off my music. Then I grabbed one of the pillows on the couch and hid my face. I couldn't even look at Malfoy, I was so embarrassed.

"Haha, oh gosh, hehe, Hermione, thanks for that. I needed a good laugh," I heard him say through his subsiding laughter.

"I'm glad I could be of service," I mumbled into the pillow.

"What was that?"

I raised my face off of my pillow and glared at him. "I said I'm glad I could be of service," I snapped. He just chuckled some more. I groaned.

"You know," he said, "that's the second time I've walked in on one of your little dance parties. Maybe you should warn me next time one is going to take place…save yourself the embarrassment." I looked at him like he was speaking another language.

"Um, Malfoy, that would totally defeat the purpose of a dance party. They are the best when spontaneous," I stated, matter-of-factly. Now that he has stopped laughing at me, I felt a little less embarrassed.

"Ah, of course, what was I thinking," Malfoy rolled his eyes. He turned and looked at me suddenly, surprising me with his questioning stare.

"Wait, why are you here? Shouldn't you be at lunch?" he asked, finally realizing that my presence in the common room was a little odd.

"Er, well, I got permission from Madame Pomfrey to get the day off from classes…" I said, avoiding his gaze.

"Wait, why? From what I could see you aren't sick or anything," he smirked, raising his eyebrows.

"Is it 'let's see how many personal questions we can ask Hermione Granger' day for you or something?" I snapped, not wanting to talk about why I wasn't in class. Malfoy looked taken aback.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to upset you, it just seemed a bit…uncharacteristic of the Grang- I mean, Hermione that I know. You aren't exactly one to fake illness just to cut class."

I sighed, closing my eyes and lying back into the cushions of the couch. After a few seconds of silence, I opened my eyes again and peered at Malfoy, who had taken a seat on the opposite end of the couch while I had my eyes closed.

"Okay, fine, I'll tell you. I don't know why I'm telling you this, I must be crazy, but I can't tell Harry because he is best friends with Ron and I can't tell Ginny because she is Ron's sister. And then there's this other thing that I can't tell ANYONE but it's crazy and kind of a huge deal but I can't say anything about it and ughhhhhh now I'm babbling. Sorry." I let this all out in a rush, then shoved my face back into the pillow that I was holding, embarrassed again. I heard Malfoy let out a frustrated sigh from beside me.

"Okay, so all I got from that was that something happened with Weasley and something completely unrelated happened, but you can't tell me what it is, am I right?" I nodded. "So, if you can't tell me the one thing, what happened with Weasel-bee?" My head shot up at his words.

"Malfoy, don't call him that. You don't have to like him, but if you're going to have a civil relationship with me, you have to call them at least Potter and Weasley, capiche?" I asked reproachfully. Malfoy sighed.

"Yes, alright, Hermione. So, what's going on with you and Weasley, then?" he queried.

"Are you sure you want to know?" I hesitated. At this, Malfoy looked downright annoyed.

"Gra- _Hermione_, would I have asked if I didn't want to know? What kind of a question is that? Yes, I want to know. Since we have to be civil, we need some basis for a relationship. Therefore, I have to know a little bit about what's going on in your life. Is that enough justification?" he finished, raising his eyebrows at me.

"Alright, alright. So, basically, Ron asked me on a date, to which I replied no, because obviously I don't see him that way-"

"Wait, you don't? Blimey, everyone thinks that you are pretty much going to get married some day. I didn't know that was just a rumor, I thought it was true!" Malfoy interrupted, staring at me.

"Well, it's not true, not even a little bit. I see him as like a brother…honestly, you shouldn't believe everything you hear!" I huffed in irritation. "But besides that, he asked me out, I said no, so he got really upset. But then about 5 seconds later he told me it was all a joke, that he was kidding, and then it was all awkward. The thing is, I know he was lying, because he still looked all upset, and he wouldn't let me give him a hug or anything, he just walked away. And….ugh, it's just…_why_ did he have to do this? Now it's just going to make things awkward between us, and I don't want that! And it's not like there aren't about a million girls at this school who wouldn't want to be his girlfriend. He has his pick of the bunch, but nooooo he has to choose me. What does he even see in me, I mean, come on! This just sucks."

Towards the end of my tirade, I wasn't really talking to Malfoy anymore, just voicing my frustrations. From beside me, my companion cleared his throat, thinking of what to say.

"I wouldn't blame him, Hermione. I hate him, but I still kind of feel bad for him…you say that there is not foundation to the rumors about you too, but I think there is, even if they're only one sided. I hate to say this, because you know, coming from me, this is just odd to hear, but I'm pretty sure that he's liked you for a really long time," Malfoy said, sounding incredibly uncomfortable and looking anywhere but at me.

"But why?" I moaned, still talking mostly to myself.

"Er, well, you see…um, can we talk about something else? Please?" asked Malfoy suddenly, running his fingers through his hair in distress. I laughed at him.

"Hey, you were the one who wanted to know. I would have been perfectly fine just moping on my own." I stuck my tongue out at him, then realized that that was the second time I had done that in two days. I guess Malfoy just brings out my inner 3 year old…

"Speaking of your…moping…what song were you listening? You know, before, when you were dancing around like a maniac. It didn't sound like anything I knew…" Malfoy asked, getting up and walking to the kitchenette, talking over his shoulder. He reached the refrigerator and pulled out a bottle of water, turning back to look at me, still sitting on the couch in the common room.

"I'm not surprised. It's a muggle band, called Jimmy Eat World," I explained as he walked back over. "I just can't stand all of the songs and bands from the wizarding world. I mean please, "Do the Hippogriff"? Who wants to rock out to a song about a dancing mythical beast, or a cauldron full of love? Muggle music has emotions and themes that are easier to connect to." Malfoy looked curiously at me.

"You mean, there are songs that aren't like that? I mean, besides classical music, obviously. But there are songs about, you know, real people and stuff?" He looked bewildered at this foreign concept.

At this, I burst out laughing. I mean, come on, he couldn't be serious, right? There were _obviously_ songs with different themes than magic and magical creatures. He had to know that.

Except, Malfoy wasn't joining in my laughter at what I thought was him joking. When I realized he was serious, I looked at him incredulously.

"Wait, that's honestly what you think? Good gracious, that's horrible! I'm going to have to introduce you to some _real_ music. I hope you won't get all high and mighty because it will all be muggle music-" at this, Malfoy glanced sharply at me, as if to remind me that he was trying to reform himself. I caught the look, but continued anyways, "-but it's all quite good. I'll make you a playlist, and you can listen to my iPod later, alright?"

"Um, why are you making me a whatsit and what the bloody hell is an iPod?" Malfoy queried, nervously.

I sighed, shaking my head in disappointment.

"Honestly, don't you pay attention to the muggle world at all? No? Okay, well a playlist is a list of songs of your choice. An iPod is a device that, when you put on the headphones, plays music for your own personal enjoyment, without distracting others. You put the playlist on the iPod so you can listen to only a select group of songs at a time, if you like. Does that make sense?" Malfoy nodded, his brow furrowed in concentration.

I chuckled absentmindedly at this conversation we were having, which made Malfoy slightly irritated.

"Care to share what's so funny with the rest of the group?" That made me laugh harder, because Harry had pretty much said the same exact thing only 12 hours ago.

"Let's just say, this is a conversation that I never thought I'd have with Draco Malfoy."

He grinned. A rare, real smile. And I hate to say this, but at a close range, it was…stunning. It transformed his face, brightening the entire room, reaching all the way to his usually cold eyes, which held the same sort of unimpeded amusement. I almost gasped at the unexpectedness of it.

"Well, Hermione, get used to it, because this Draco Malfoy is going to start listening to muggle music. I actually really liked that song…and not just because it was amusing that you were dancing to it. I liked how up beat it was. What did you say it was called again?"

"A Praise Chorus." I smiled, glad that we could talk about something that I loved so much without being teased or ridiculed. This acquaintance thing might actually be easier than I thought!

"Well, I hope you put it on this playlist. Wait, if this 'iPod' is a muggle invention, how does it work inside of Hogwarts? Isn't it supposed to get neutralized by the protections around here?"

I shook my head. "Actually, a lot of the stuff in my room is electric, and even the stuff in the kitchen is muggle-made. Although I think there might be a charm on the coffee maker to make it brew faster, because usually it takes at least 8 minutes, but it only took about 2 or 3. But I'm pretty sure that Dumbledore lifted some of the restrictions that are on the rest of the castle."

"Huh."

After that we both just sat on the couch for a few minutes, Malfoy drinking his water while I sang "A Praise Chorus" softly to myself. After a little while, it seemed to get tense, so I tried to ask him if he had had lunch yet.

"Have you-"

"Are you going to-"

We both paused, having spoken at the same time. I smirked and gestured that he should go first.

"I was just wondering if you were going to the Great Hall for lunch?" Malfoy asked.

"Er, I was kind of thinking that I would eat here because, you know, Ron's going to be in the Great Hall, and I don't exactly feel like seeing him after what happened this morning…" Malfoy grimaced.

"Oh yeah, er, sorry, I forgot about that. Do you want me to get you something?"

I stared open-mouthed for a few seconds. Did he just…

"Wait, did you just offer to get something for me? Check outside, I think there might be some pigs flying," I chuckled. Malfoy looked at me like I was insane.

"Why on earth are you talking about flying pigs?" He asked incredulously, as if he feared for my sanity. I rolled my eyes.

"Never mind, it's a muggle saying. Moral of the story, I was surprised that you were offering." I replied quickly.

Malfoy just raised his eyebrows, then leaned back into the cushions of the couch. "So, what do you want to do?"

"Didn't we just establish that we were going to have lunch?" I asked, confused.

He rolled his eyes. "I meant _after_ that," he said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Uh, I guess I'll probably read, and you'll go back to class," I said, staring at him questioningly. "You should probably go soon, if you want to catch some lunch before afternoon classes."

"Hermione," Malfoy started, swinging his legs down so he was sitting and resting his elbows on his knees, his hands clasped in front of him. "I don't really feel like going to class; it's healthy to cut every once in a while, you know? Well, _you_ probably wouldn't know, I guess…besides, I can keep you company so you won't mope too much about the Weasley thing!" He finished with a cheeky grin.

"Malfoy, why do you want to keep _me_ company? I mean, I can understand your being civil and all, but this borders on—" I gulped dramatically "—_friendship_."

His eyes widened. "Oh, the horror!"

"So you actually want to be friends with me? Me? Hermione Granger, the mudblood know-it-all?" It sounded like a stupid question, like when someone fishes for a compliment or something, but I really wanted to be clear. Almost as if he sensed my uncertainty and skepticism, he looked up with a serious expression, piercing me with his silvery-blue gaze.

"Yeah, as hard as it is to believe, I really do," he said softly, almost as if he was telling himself rather than me.

A charged silence filled the room. It wasn't uncomfortable, but I could definitely tell that things had changed between us. It's weird how much your world can alter in a matter of days…finally, I smiled at him.

"Alright, sounds good, Malfoy," I commented casually. Malfoy chuckled dryly.

"You still keep calling me 'Malfoy,'" he said.

"Sorry, old habits die hard."

"I've had no trouble calling you 'Hermione.'"

"Well, aren't you just amazingly awesome."

"I'm glad you've finally noticed."

"Malfoy-"

"_Draco_," he interjected. "Come one, say it with me, D-R-A-C-O."

I just rolled my eyes. "Alright, Draco."

"So, now we're back to square one, after a little detour through Friendship-ville. What do you want to do?" Malfoy asked again. I just stared, a small smile tugging at my lips.

"Well well well, the Slytherin prince actually has a sense of humor! Who woulda thought…" I teased. Then my stomach growled loudly, causing me to blush. Malfoy smirked.

"Right, first things first: lunch," he chuckled.

"Oh, I have an idea!" I exclaimed. "Have you ever been down to the kitchens?"

Malfoy raised his eyebrows in surprise. "No, I was never able to find it…" he admitted sheepishly. At that, I had to laugh.

"You don't know where it is? You? The devious, sneaky little ferret?" He stuck his tongue out at me. I guess the turning into a 3-year-old was a mutual affliction.

"Hey! How is it that _you _know where it is? You, the straight-laced teachers pet?"

"My best friend's brothers are Fred and George," I chuckled mischievously. "It's okay, I'll show you, but let's go! I'm getting hungry."

"I noticed," Malfoy said through his smirk.

I leapt to my feet and headed to the door, leaving Malfoy to trail behind me. When I reached the exit, I paused and turned to look at him.

"How do you want to do this: super stealth or casual?"

He looked confused. "Um, what?"

"Well, I'm supposed to be sick in my dormitory, and you…ugh, never mind." I turned away. After his confession that he wanted to be my friend, I shouldn't tell him that I was concerned how our classmates would react to seeing Malfoy and myself walking casually down the hallways. Hopefully they would all still be in the Great Hall…_I guess we'll see_, I thought to myself.

We stepped out of the portrait hole and into the hallway. As we walked down the hallway, I decided to delve into the mystery that was Draco Malfoy.

"So, Mal-Draco, do you have any other hidden talents that I don't know about other than dancing?" I inquired curiously. Malfoy chuckled.

"Wouldn't you like to know…" he said with a wink. "Actually, I have dappled in some music too. My mom forced me to take piano lessons when I was younger, and I kind of grew to love it. I play a few other things too…mostly piano and guitar though." He said, speaking mostly with his head down, but glancing over at me a few times as if to see my reaction.

"Wow…" I'm not going to lie, I was a bit floored. Who knew that the kid all of the Gryffindors hated was actually a talented artist. "That's, uh, that's kind of amazing." I said lamely.

"Thanks," he said, giving me a small smile. "Although, I'd appreciate it if you didn't spread that around. I've got a reputation to maintain, you know?" he added in a falsely stern voice. I rolled my eyes and we both laughed good-naturedly. There was a bit of awkwardness between us, because this was obviously new ground that we were covering, but it was kind of fun.

Still smiling, we turned the corner to the Entrance Hall. The sight of someone coming the opposite direction stopped me in my tracks and the smile fell off of my face. Malfoy continued for a pace or so, then realized that I wasn't with him and stopped, looking confusedly at me. When he saw who I was staring at, his mouth went from smiling to a thin line of irritation.

"Hermione? What are you doing with…him?"

* * *

**I'm sorry guys, I really did mean to update sooner. And I hope that this chapter isn't too jumbled, I've just had a lot of amazing ideas for the future of this story and sometimes I get sidetracked. But I want to make sure that I get there without completely losing you guys. So...what did you think? review please :)**

**Thank you!**

**3 gymrat**


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